Journalist detained without charge

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP):

A Somali journalist is being detained without charge in Somalia for speaking out against the imprisonment of a fellow reporter, said an international human rights group.

Daud Abdi Daud has been held without charge since February 5 and his detention is sending a broader message to Somali journalists to stay silent, said Human Rights Watch in a statement released Tuesday.

According to the rights group, Daud's arrest stems from an incident last week when a Mogadishu court handed down one-year prison sentences to a woman who said she was raped by security forces and a reporter who interviewed her. Daud spoke out in court saying that journalists have the right to interview people.

After Daud reportedly added that he would even seek to interview the president's wife, the police arrested him, the group said.

Human Rights Watch has asked Somali authorities to immediately charge or release Daud.