After nearly two years in captivity, journalist Abdimalik Muse Oldon was freed from Hargeisa’s main prison on Thursday.
Abdi Malik was detained by Somaliland police in August 2021. The independent journalist was detained outside his Burao residence for allegedly distributing fake information regarding the Abaarso school and the Hargeisa Cultural Center.
Abdimalik Muse Oldon was declared innocent of all accusations by the Marodi-Jeh regional court in Hargeisa in February 2022; however, the prosecution appealed the court’s ruling, keeping Abdimalik behind bars until his release on Thursday.
Oldon was previously imprisoned by Somaliland authorities in 2019 for “disseminating fake news” and “promoting anti-national propaganda.” He was pardoned by the president of Somaliland, nevertheless, following a period in jail.