A court in Netherlands ordered Dahabshiil to Pay huge amount of money + Facts.

Mogadishu (Sunatimes) Breda Town court ordered Dahabshiil company for the second time to pay huge amount of Money when the company lost its lawsuit against Dahir Alasow. Letter from the court dated on November 29, 2012 made null and void Dahabshiil’s case against Dahir Alasow who was representing Associated Somali Journalists (ASOJ), Waagacusub and Sunatimes.

Contrary to its expectation, Dahabshiil Company was asked to pay the cost of the jury and the lawyers. The reason is that Dahabshiil was the part that has initiated the lawsuit, and subsequently wasted the valuable time of the jury and the lawyers for a case they’ve previously lost.

“Dahir Alasow’s evidences are authentic; therefore the court cannot ask him to remove what dahabshiil wants to be removed from his websites” Said a statement issued by the court. Download here the Court PDF File

The court sentence signifies the second Dahabshiil defeat. They lost 4 Million Euros for the first lawsuit, while the cost they lost for the second case is more than one million pounds.

Most of the Somali community in Breda town, Brabant Province celebrated with joy when the media published the court verdict. They never cheered up for Dahabshil’s loss in the first lawsuit on February 08, 2010.

These celebrations are clear picture of Dahir Alasow’s popularity in Breda. Large number of his admirers filled up the court hall right from the beginning of the case. For Dahabshil’s Management, it seems that they don’t know much about the damage that the two defeats can inflict into their reputation. “Dahabshil Managemeny should understand that the freedom of the media is not negotiable” Said Dahir Alasow.

"Associated Somali Journalsts is grateful and congratulates lawyers advocated for the media independence namely Margriet Koedoder and Frouke Hekker" Said statement issued by ASOJ office in Mogadishu.

ASOJ also appreciates the role of the Somali Journalists in the case against Dahabshiil, specially those from Halbeegnews.net,Qurbejoog.com,Galmudugnews.com,Khaatuma.com and Boocame.com.

“Triumph against Dhiigshiil and its allies are not for Dahir Alasow alone, but for the entire independent media in general. The most important thing is to fight for the supremacy of the media independence, and to show the exploiters that the rule of law prevails” Said in ASOJ Press release.

Here you can follow Journalists Emails to Devos Partners Advocates

Dear Sirs

As you have recently met with Dahir Alasow who is a somali journalist and you have discussed about the threats of Dahabhiil to the Somali Media, I want to also confirm to you here that I am one of the victim journalists whom Dahabshiil threatened and suffocated

Sirs Dahabshiil is not only a financial company but it has recently controlled the Political power of administration in Somaliland (Northern Somalia region) and they have used that power to suffocate, arrest and punish any Somali journalist who tries to unveil the truth about DAHABSHIIL, they bribe and pay to many individuals to punish the media men and women.

My name Is Mohammed Hasan, I am a somali journalist who is based in UK, I am the chief Editor of this website www.halbeegnews.com and I am a well known journalist in all over Somalia, DAHABSHIIL's men have sent us recently a regular threats against me and our staffs, that I will be killed, will be arrested if I ever put on foot in Somalia, as you have been told you by Dahir Alasow, Dahabshiil owns one of the telecommunication companies in Somalia known SOMTEL which provides internet to many people in the north side of the country they have recently censored and stopped their customers a list of websites includes ours halbeegnews which is against the freedom of expression and media law in europe

Dahir Alasow will be our representative and I am again confirming to you that our media outlet is a victim of Dahabshiil

if you want us any further details please don't hesitate to contact us for these

Halbeeg News Network

www.halbeegnews.com
www.halbeegnews.net
www.halbeegnews.info

Mohammed Hasan
Tel: 00-44-2477675683
Mobile: 44-7903579211

Dear Sir,

Dahir Alasow informed us that Dahabshiil is arguing that we asked money for advertisement. If we need money it is important to understand; do the council of traditional Somali elders, intellectuals, diabled, artists, all complaining against Dahabshil need money?

If you look at youtube, you?ll find clips of Somali prominent figures complaining about Dahabshiil. If Dahabshil has nothing to do with terrorists, why Anonymous group hacked their internet database, and made their client information public? Does Anonymous want advertisement? Does former Galmudug president want advertisement from Dahabshil? Does VOA Somali Service want advertisement from Dahabshil? A good manifest of Dahabnshil?s penetration into politics is Faysal Ali Warabe, leader of Somaliland?s opposition party saying, and I quote ?Dahabshil paid all of us?. In short, Dahabshil is trying to cover up its violation against independent media

Dahabshil?s officer in charge of media and advertisement, Hussein Heis has contacted me, and said to me ?we?ve allocated $10,000 for you, and monthly fee of $300 provided that you remove a report from galmudugnews.com?. When I refused any sort of bribery they spoke to elders of my clan. I?ve managed to made elders understand that galmudugnews.com works under the principles of freedom of speech.

Dahabshil used money, and we received threat letters from Bird & Bird LLP, also godaddy communicated with us as a result of US based lawyers representing Dahabshil contacted them and threatened them for lawsuit should reports and photos in Galmudugnews.com not been removed. Dahabshil claimed the copyright ownership, nut the fact is that Dahabshil is not a media organization, and there is no prove whatsoever in stealing news, the only reason is that they are looking for cheap justification to shutdown gamudugnews.com, my colleague Abdiwahab Hussein, a Kenyan Somali hired a lawyer for the case. Dahabshil lost the lawsuit.
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Dahabshil's fight is based into two things:

1- An old stereotype which is that Somalis cannot afford to hire a lawyer, or
2- Terrifying the independent media that speak of their violation against the freedom of expression, which is taboo.

We are grateful for Dahir Alasow?s Endeavour of supremacy of media independence. We expect the November 19 court hearing will bear fruits and a blow to Dahabshil in order for us to find freedom.

Thanks

R. M
Galmudugnews.com Chief editor
Tel:00252678889999
Galkayo -Somalia

I am very delighted to hear that you are defending freedom of the media. I therefore would like to inform you that the aim of Dahabshil is: Take bribery and publish what we want, otherwise you?ll get killed or detained, and it is not acceptable.

All the websites of Khatuma State are blocked in Somaliland by Somaliland ISP Somtel. Journalists with khaatuma.com left their jobs for fear of Dahabshil assassination due to the killing of te website director Ahmed Farah Ilyas http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20066670

Ahmed Darwish
Buhodle, Khaatuma, Somalia

Dear Sir,

I have heard that you are getting ready on 19 November?s court case about Dahabshiil?s oppression against Media freedom in Somalia, Therefore, I?d like to share with you some information which is threat by Dahabshiil against our lives and media independence in general.

I live in Mogadishu, and I survived two assassination attempts sponsored by Dahabshil. I now live in hideout place with constant fear and anxiety.

I believe that your endeavor will cease the continuation of targeted killings and oppression against journalists by Dahabshil, and I thank you for assisting us.

Many Thanks


Faduma Farah Ali
Editor
Mogadishu, Somalia