Two Universal TV journalists arrested, Mogadishu bureau closed

London-based Somali owned Channel Universal TV, said that the security forces of Somali government has closed down its office in Mogadishu and apprehended two staffers including a senior journalist.

Addressing the journalists, the channel’s head of programs, Mohamed Ahmed Haji aka Agma-dhige said that two of the station’s journalists have spent a night behind the bars and the office remained closed following the raid by National Intelligence Service Agency, NISA on Friday evening.

He pointed out that the detention is related to  debate program on the critical of state of the country that has been aired 30th of last month by the station.

“The administration of Universal TV  condemns the arbitrary arrest against two journalists in Mogadishu, the latest in a string of violence against the journalists in Somalia” he said.

Reports say that in the program some of the MPs who participated in argued that Somalia is not a free country; and that the presence of AMISOM troops from front-line states is “illegal”.

Somali government has yet to comment on the arrest of the journalist and the cause.