Michael Polak instructed to assist Somali Journalist Syndicate in case of Journalist Kilwe Adan Farah with Hearing Listed on Saturday 23 January 2021 in Military Court in Puntland.
Justice Abroad’s Michael Polak has been instructed to assist Kilwe Adan Farah who has been unlawfully detained and charged with politically motivated attempted murder charges in Puntland, Somalia. He is working alongside the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), a local journalists organisation defending journalists in Somalia.
Kilwe was the only reporter who covered anti-inflation protests in Garowe on 26 December 2020 and the videos he made of the protests were shared widely. The following day Kilwe was unlawfully seized and detained and held at an undisclosed Puntland Intelligence and Security Agency (PISA) detention centre without the access to legal counsel or his family for 16 days.
On 11 January 2021, Kilwe was transferred to Garowe central prison and was charged with attempted murder by the Puntland Military Court. He was charged without a legal representative. The charge sheet was not seen by Kilwe’s family but rather read to them by a military court official. Despite the charge being for attempted murder the authorities did was unable to state who the alleged he had attempted to murder. This charge is worrying given that the death penalty can be applied for attempted murder.
The charges brought against Kilwe are believed to be politically driven and due to the fact that he reported on the protests that occurred on 26th December 2020.
Under these instructions Michael Polak will be advocating for the release of Kilwe Adan Farah who has done nothing but perform his job as a journalist and needs to be returned to his family. Michael has already started to make representations to the donor community about Kilwe’s plight and will be leaving no stone unturned until he is freed.
Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, the Secretary General of Somali Journalists Syndicate and Michael Polak, of Justice Abroad and Church Court Chambers state:
“We are extremely concerned by the seemingly contrived and politically motivated charges against the journalist Kilwe Adan Farah by Puntland State authorities. It appears that these charges and this prosecution brought after his unlawful detention and following reports of torture is directly linked to his work as a journalist and his mission to inform the Somalian people of what was taking place in Garowe.
We call on the Puntland authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Kilwe, allow him to reunite with his wife and two daughters, and allow him to continue his journalistic work without any further intimidation or harassment. The Puntland Authorities must also thoroughly investigate the reports of torture against Kilwe and bring those responsible before the courts.
It is of the utmost importance that journalists throughout Somalia are not subject to enforced disappearances and trumped-up charges so that the Somalian people and the international community can be informed about what is happening in the country. ‘
Notes to Editors
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