Somalia apex court frees jailed journalist

Mogadishu: The Supreme Court of Somalia has acquitted a journalist who was jailed after he interviewed a woman who alleged she was raped by government security forces, a media report said. Judge Aydeed Abdulahi Ilkahanaf said journalist Abdiaziz Abdinur was set free and charges against him were dropped for lack of evidence, Xinhua reported. Abdinur along with the woman were each sentenced to a year in jail in February but the woman was released by an appeals court earlier this month.

The appeals court had upheld the journalist`s conviction with a reduced jail term of six months. "I am happy that I got my freedom back and I thank all those who took part in the effort to bring a just end to this case particularly my lawyers and colleagues," the journalist was quoted as saying following his release. IANS