President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed
Mogadishu, Somalia

19 March 2008

Your Excellency,

We are writing on behalf of the World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum, which represent 18,000 publications in 102 countries, to express our serious concern at the adoption by parliament of a media law that seriously threatens press freedom.

On 8 December 2007, parliament passed the Media Law, which contains several broad, vague and restrictive provisions that undermine freedom of expression. The law imposes a requirement on the media to disseminate “correct news and ideology”. It also bans stories that jeopardise Islam or national unity, and pictures that can "spread shock within the community".

Other provisions of serious concern include those on the surveillance of foreign media, the composition and operation of the national media council, and the definition of journalistic ethics and of professional journalism.

We respectfully remind you that several provisions breach internationally accepted standards of free expression, as well as the Transitional Federal Charter, Somalia’s interim constitution, which guarantees freedom of media and information.

2007 was the most dangerous year for journalists in Somalia’s history. So far this year, according to reports, one journalist has been killed, two have been seriously injured and four illegally arrested. We are concerned that the Media Law will make it still more difficult and dangerous for them to carry out their duties.

We respectfully call on you not to give your assent to the bill and ask that you do everything possible to ensure that the Transitional Federal Government revises this law to bring it into line with internationally accepted standards.

We look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

Yours sincerely,

Gavin O’Reilly
President
World Association of Newspapers

George Brock
President
World Editors Forum

cc PM Muhammad Abdi Yusuf

WAN is the global organization for the newspaper industry, with formal representative status at the United Nations, UNESCO and the Council of Europe. The organization groups 18,000 newspapers in 102 countries, 12 news agencies and 11 regional and world-wide press groups. WAN is non-governmental and non-profit.