Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she has taken to raise reports of the detention of 14 journalists arrested on 13 April 2022 in connection with their coverage of a prison riot in Somaliland with the authorities in that country.

We are deeply concerned about the reports of 17 journalists detained in Hargeisa after reporting from outside the central prison. Although two were released the same day, 15 others were detained for longer. Our Ambassador to Somalia raised these concerns directly with Somaliland President Bihi on 20 April, and met with some of those released. We continue to press for a fair and transparent judicial process for the three journalists still detained. Media freedom is an essential component of a functioning democracy and the British Government is committed to media freedom and freedom of expression. This incident reflects diminishing media freedom in Somaliland, which is seeing rising numbers of arrests and physical assaults of journalists. We will continue to encourage Somaliland's Government to pass a stalled media law that would help secure important protections for journalists.