Somalia / Radio station director released after being held without charge for 57 days

PARIS, France, April 30, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Reporters Without Borders is relieved to learn that the authorities of the semi-autonomous northeastern region of Puntland released radio Voice of Peace director Awke Abdullahi Ali on 28 April after holding him for 57 days in the region's capital, Bossasso, without bringing any charges against him.

“This is good news but it should not be allowed to divert attention from the fact that journalists working in Puntland are constantly exposed to the threat of arbitrary arrest,” Reporters Without Borders said.

Fellow journalists said Ali was freed because his health had declined sharply while in detention. He has a heart ailment and will now undergo medical tests. As he left prison, Ali said he would never abandon commitment as a journalist to defending the community.