MOGADISHU, Somalia, 19 December 2024 – The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) and the Somali Media Women Association (SOMWA) strongly condemn the physical attack resulting injuries of female journalist Shukri Aabi Abdi and the detention of her cameraman, Ali Hassan Guure, by officers of the Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) in Mogadishu on Tuesday, 17 December 2024.
Shukri Aabi Abdi and her cameraman from Risaala Media Corporation were reporting on a public protest in the Daljirka area of Mogadishu when they were physically assaulted by the NISA officers. The officers grabbed Ali’s camera and briefly detained him before deleting all footage of the protest.
At the same time, three NISA officers assaulted Shukri, beating her and drawing their pistols. Shukri stated that she was dragged, her headscarf stripped off, kicked, and beaten with verbal threats in the middle of the street before a group of local women intervened to rescue her.
She sustained bruises to her arms and neck.
Shukri was taken to the hospital for treatment, but the officers responsible for the attack have not been arrested and remain at large. Cameraman Ali Hassan Guure was later released after the footage on his camera was deleted.
SJS and SOMWA strongly condemn this physical attack and call for urgent action against the officers responsible for the assault on Shukri Aabi Abdi and Ali Hassan Guure. The perpetrators’ faces can be seen in a video recording obtained by SJS and SOMWA.
“We strongly condemn the brutal physical attack on our colleague journalist Shukri Aabi Abdi and her cameraman, Ali Hassan Guure, by officers of the NISA in Mogadishu on Tuesday. This attack on journalists is a direct violation of press freedom and human rights,” said SJS Secretary General, Abdalle Mumin “We demand immediate accountability for those responsible.”
“The attack on Shukri Aabi Abdi, a brave female journalist, is a direct assault on press freedom and the rights of women in Somalia. We condemn this attack in the strongest terms and demand immediate action against the perpetrators,” said SOMWA Executive Director, Maryan Seylac “This violent act is an alarming pattern of violence faced by women journalists in Somalia. The Somali government must prioritize the safety of journalists, especially women, and take decisive steps to ensure that those who target them are held accountable.”