On August 6, 2014, police in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland detained Fatima Yusuf, a reporter for the private broadcaster Radio Daljir, according to local journalists and news reports. Police raided Fatima’s hotel room in Puntland’s capital, Garowe, and also arrested two other journalists, Puntland TV reporter Khadro Mohamed and Kalsan TV reporter Abdinasir Da’ad. The three were taken to Garowe Police Station.
Police held Khadro and Abdinasir for a few hours and released Fatima at noon on August 7, 2014, without charge, local journalists told CPJ.
Fatima told CPJ she suspected police had detained her in connection with an interview she had on August 5, 2014, with the U.S.-backed Voice of America (VOA). VOA reporter Abdulaziz Osman told CPJ the outlet had interviewed Fatima about the brief seizure of the state radio and television building by armed soldiers who demanded salary payment and reinstatement of sacked government officials, according to news reports.
Fatima works as the Radio Daljir correspondent in the port city of Bossasso but had traveled recently to Garowe to attend a meeting, she said.