Hargeysa(Mogadishu24)-Somaliland forces on Saturday evening arrested three journalists including the owner of MM-TV during a live X Space talk show about threat and opportunities of the recent Memorandum of Understanding between Ethiopian and Somaliland, leasing 20 kilometers of Sea Access to Ethiopia.

Somaliland authorities did not comment on the attack on the local TV station so far, but Director of the Television, Abdishakur Dayib and former Minister of foreign Affairs of Somalia, Yusuf Garad Omar who was one of a key guest to the program, condemned the attack, calling the authorities for a quick release.

“It is offense, power abuse, without freedom of expression, violating the rule of law and without confidence to those behind these acts. We are calling for Somaliland Government to release the chairperson of MM-TV and other journalists, conduct investigation into the abuse and destruction of the TV headquarter that belongs to citizens who area among tax payers”, the TV Director, Abdishakur Dayib said in a statement.

Dayib said that Somaliland knew that they were hosting such talk show and invited a senior official from the administration, Feysal Ali Sheikh who was taking part the X Space at the time, saying they did not know the reason why they were abused while exercising their journalism. 

Mohamed Abdi Ilig, the Chair, Ilyas Abdinasir and Mohamed Abdi Abdullahi(Andar) are still under arrest according to the TV.

In Hareysa, Somaliland, Journalists and media practitioners often face arrests and closure of media houses, putting freedom of press into danger. Somaliland warned Universal TV against hosting a talk show two weeks ago.