Puntland reporter released after 25 days in jail

CASE UPDATE

JANUARY 17, 2008

Original Alert: December 27, 2007Posted January 18, 2008

Awale Jama Salad, FreelanceIMPRISONED

Independent journalist Awale Jama Salad was released January 16 on bail after spending 24 days in prison in the port town of Bossasso in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland. Salad will go to court on January 20, he told CPJ. An earlier court date was held on January 9 but Salad was ordered back to jail by the presiding judge after the Puntland police chief intervened for unknown reasons, local journalists reported.

Reporter Awale Jama Salad was arrested by Puntland police with no charges on December 23. According to local journalists, his arrest is linked to photographs he published of the formerly kidnapped French TV reporter, Gwen Le Gouil.