On Sunday gunmen shot and killed Muktar Hirabe, director of Radio Shabelle in Mogadishu, making him the fifth Somali reporter to die this year, in a country where being a journalist is one of the most dangerous jobs there is.
With Hirabe was Ahmed Omar Hashi (at right in the photo), a Shabelle senior producer and my friend. Hashi was shot in the hand and stomach, but survived. He called me from a hospital on Monday. He does not know who targeted him, but he is certain they will return to finish the job. He told me he needs $1,500 to get a visa and get out of Somalia, before the gunmen strike again.
I have promised to help Hashi, as best I can. I am good for $300, and World Politics Review publisher Hampton Stephens has pledged $500. Meanwhile, Paul McLeary in Washington, D.C., has promised some cash and volunteered to facilitate the wire transfer. Who else can help? We have two days …
To donate, go to www.warisboring.com and click on the Paypal button on the left sidebar. Any donations flow to me. I will then forward them in a lump sum to Paul, who will be making the wire transfer at the end of this week. If you have any questions or concerns about the process, you can email me at david_axe@hotmail.com.
(Photo: David Axe)
]]>Hrant Dink was shot dead on January 17, 2007 outside the Istanbul offices of Agos, the bilingual Armenian weekly where he worked as editor-in-chief. 20 suspects have been arrested for the killing of the Turkish-Armenian journalist. Eight remain in custody, but none have been charged. To mark the anniversary of Dink’s assassination this week hundreds of people gathered outside the Agos offices to protest at the lack of progress in the case,
We believe there is an organized campaign to delay the
dissipation of the shroud of mist surrounding the Dink murder. His
assassination is certainly not the work of only 20 suspects. The police
should investigate very carefully how the assassination plan was
devised, how Dink was targeted and how the murder was carried out.
Officials at the Ä°stanbul and Trabzon police departments with suspected
links to the murder should be called to account. We, as the friends of
Hrant, will continue to raise our voices until the case into his murder
is concluded,” stated Özlem Dalkıran of the Helsinki Citizens’
Assembly. link