Sharif Shuriye Hashi, 35, who worked as a journalist for Universal TV in Somalia, was arrested from his home in Jowhar on December 8th.

He was taken into custody by forces from the Hirshabelle State Police. According to journalists in Jowhar, the arrest was led by Hassan Jabshe, the deputy commander of the Jowhar Police Station.

Sharif’s recently married wife, Hamdi Muse Digow, also 35, was arrested on the same day. Both of them remain in police custody.

The post WATCH: Third Day of Journalist Shariif’s Discrimination Case Continues at Jowhar City Court appeared first on Kaab TV.

A colleague of Andar told Kaab TV that the journalist was taken into custody at the headquarters of Hargeisa’s police investigation unit.

The reasons for Andar’s arrest have not yet been disclosed.

Since President Irro took office, there has been a noticeable increase in the detention of journalists in Somaliland.

Media organizations have reported that, over the past ten months, cases of journalists being arrested have risen sharply, raising concerns about the state of press freedom in Somaliland.

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On Friday afternoon, Abdillahi was reporting on a demonstration in Mogadishu’s Yaqshid district. Residents had gathered to protest planned relocations and land grabbing in the area. Armed police attempted to disperse the protesters by opening fire, tragically killing two civilians, including a 20-year-old peaceful protester, according to media reports. The order to disperse and shoot the protesters is reported to have come from the Banadir Regional Police Commissioner, Mahdi Omar Mu’min, known as Macalin Mahdi.

Witnesses informed SJS that police beat and arrested Abdillahi while he was reporting on the demonstration. Omar Yusuf Mohamed, a colleague, managed to escape. Abdillahi was initially detained by police and then transferred to the Yaqshid District Station, where he remained in custody until Monday afternoon. His family was denied access to him. Abdillahi told SJS that on Saturday, 22 November, he was forcibly questioned by a police prosecutor without a lawyer present.

On Monday, 24 November, Abdillahi was brought before the Banadir Regional Court and charged with “organizing protesters” and “inciting the public.” He was later released due to a lack of evidence. During the court hearing, it became clear that Abdillahi had been specifically targeted because of his affiliation with Himilo Media.

Abdillahi further reported that Police Prosecutor Nouradin Mohamed Hussein (Jim’ale) confiscated his phone and demanded its password. The prosecutor allegedly expressed anger, stating repeatedly that Banadir Regional Police Chief Macalin Mahdi “hates journalists working at Himilo Media.”

Although Abdillahi was released, Himilo Media management informed SJS that their equipment—including digital cameras, microphones, tripods, and lighting—would not be returned. When staff attempted to retrieve the equipment late on Monday, they were told it had been ordered kept by Police Chief Maallin Mahdi.

A disturbing trend of targeting vulnerable groups has emerged recently. Various sources indicate that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his political and business associates are involved in exploiting public land sales, government property, and sometimes even private lands, often forcibly taking them from rightful owners. Journalists reporting on evictions are frequently targeted, while many local media outlets remain silent to avoid repercussions.

The incident on 21 November occurred on land in Yaqshid district that was originally government-owned and converted into a residential area in 1960. Many local residents possess ownership documents issued by the former Somali government. Local media, including Himilo TV, reported that businessmen and government officials were attempting to illegally occupy the land and evict the community.

“This arrest, the detention, and the baseless trial of our colleague Abdillahi Mohamed Ali (Sawey) of Himilo Media constitute an unacceptable attack on press freedom. Reporting forced relocations—an issue of public interest and human rights—is not a crime; it is a fundamental duty of journalists,” said SJS General Secretary Abdalle Muumin.

He added, “We demand that the Mogadishu Police and their leadership immediately stop this campaign against journalists. The abuse of government power to silence media outlets like Himilo TV, which expose corruption, must end. We also call for the immediate and unconditional return of all confiscated equipment held illegally by Police Chief Maallin Mahdi. Journalists will not remain silent in the face of illegal detention or seizure of their tools.”

Earlier, on 16 November, a group of journalists—including Abdillahi Mohamed Ali and Abdullahi Abd Qadir Ahmed of Himilo Media, freelancer Abrahman Mohamed Waberi, and Ali Hassan Guure, a cameraman from Risala Media, along with his colleague Hamda Ahmed Hassan—were stopped by National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) officers while collecting vox-pop interviews about disputed elections in Somalia. The journalists were initially taken to a nearby police station but released before arrival. They reported that they were required to pay for the taxi used to reach the station, after which they were released.

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The meeting brought together press freedom advocates, representatives from International Media Support (IMS), officials from the Ministry of Information who have been targeting journalists including SJS, and members of the diplomatic community.

Participants voiced alarm over the increasing repression targeting Somali journalists, particularly those based in Mogadishu, and the broader erosion of press freedom across the country.

The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) expressed grave concern over the escalating attacks on journalists, SJS members, and independent media houses. These attacks have intensified following public threats issued by government officials from the police and the the Ministry of Information.

“Since the statement by the Minister of Information Daud Aweis Jama and the Mogadishu Police Commissioner, Moalim Mahdi on 6 March 2025, attacks on journalists have significantly increased. Press freedom is dying in Somalia. We are deeply concerned that the Somali government—specifically the Ministry of Information, police forces, and the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA)—is deliberately targeting journalists for their independent reporting,” said Mohamed Ibrahim Bulbul, SJS Secretary of Information and Human Rights, during the meeting.

Reporting on security issues including threats posed by Al-Shabaab terror group, government corruption and human rights abuses remain a red line for journalists in Somalia, particularly in Mogadishu.

The 6 March statement by Minister Daud Aweis and Mogadishu Police Commissioner Mahdi Omar Muumin (known as Moalim Mahdi who is also an ex-defector of Al-Shabaab), which openly threatened “severe punishment” media outlets against publishing any reporting related to security has triggered a new wave of suppression.

Participants also highlighted the growing intimidation of journalists working for state media in Mogadishu, many of whom have faced threats, suspensions, and dismissals for critical reporting or expressing independent views.

Serious concern was raised regarding threats against women journalists, including threats of sexual violence and other security risks, which have become increasingly common.

The diplomatic community was urged to stand in support of press freedom advocacy and to take meaningful steps to ensure the safety and protection of Somali journalists.

Between 1 January and 30 April 2025, a total of 46 journalists were arrested or detained across Somalia, according to SJS documentation. Journalist Mohamed Abukar Dabaashe was killed in Al-Shabaab bombing in Mogadishu on 18 March. Additionally, two journalists were kidnapped and have since disappeared in Lower Shabelle, Southwest State. Both government forces and Al-Shabaab have contributed to an increasingly hostile environment for the press, marked by physical attacks, arbitrary arrests, killings, and online censorship.

State security forces and police—many of whom are former Al-Shabaab defectors—were behind most of the raids, arrests, and intimidation incidents. NISA continued its practice of unlawful detentions and harassment, particularly in Mogadishu. Of the 46 arrests so far, 41 occurred in Mogadishu alone, underscoring how Mogadishu remains a dangerous place for journalists.

Reflecting today’s engagement, the SJS Secretary General, Abdalle Mumin, thanked the diplomatic community for their efforts and reiterated a strong call for media freedom as a cornerstone of democracy, peacebuilding, and efforts to counter violent extremism.

“I take this opportunity to remind Somalia’s international partners that there can be no democratic Somalia unless we have a strong and independent media, and the international community must act to defend free media. Accountability is key to ending this cycle of violence subjected to the journalist community in Somalia including SJS members. Let us make no mistake: those who target journalists must be held accountable, no matter how powerful they are or whether they command armed groups,” said SJS Secretary General, Abdalle Mumin.

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The videos, which sparked violent protests and retaliatory killings across South Sudan, have since been removed, according to a Jan. 27 statement from the National Communications Authority directed at telecom and internet providers.

The country’s telecommunication authority blamed the rise of violence to the social media.

“The rise of violence linked to social media content in South Sudan underscores the need for a balanced approach that addresses the root causes of online incitement while protecting the rights of the population,” said Napoleon Adok Gai, director of the National Communications Authority.

Rights groups have accused the Sudanese army and its allies of carrying out ethnically targeted attacks on civilians in Sudan’s El Gezira state earlier this month, following their capture of Wad Madani, the state capital, from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

In response, the Sudanese army condemned the incidents as “individual violations” captured on video and widely shared on social media.

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While Al-Shabaab was traditionally attributed as the primary assailant, recent revelations suggest that the country’s own National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), comprised largely of former members of the aforementioned extremist group, is now implicated in assaults against journalists.

Yusuf Abdi Shire, a seasoned editor with prominent media outlets including RTN television, SBC TV, and Dalsan TV, now finds himself in self-imposed exile due to a barrage of threats.

“I faced death threats related to my work. Al-Shabaab called me to go to their secret court as they threatened to kill me,” he divulged.

Yusuf’s narrative mirrors the harrowing daily realities in Mogadishu, the capital, aptly dubbed by its residents as the “city of death.”

On October 29 of the previous year, Yusuf narrowly escaped death when a dual car bombing devastated a bustling intersection in Mogadishu’s Soobe area, claiming two lives, including that of renowned journalist Mohamed Isse Koonaa.

Reflecting on the incident, Yusuf recollected, “I left a function at Jazeera Hotel. I was heading back to the office when the double suicide car bombings went off. I was lucky to survive within seconds after I left the area. Had I been with Mohamed Isse Koonaa I would not have been talking to you today.”

Although the number of journalists killed in Somalia witnessed a decline, arbitrary detentions, assaults, and suspensions remained rampant across the nation. Both local and federal authorities persist in their unchecked power, stifling Somali journalists with impunity whenever critical views are expressed, whether in Mogadishu, Kismayo, Hargeisa, or Garowe.

Red lines for journalists

The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) underscores that red lines for coverage remain prevalent throughout the country. Notably, state security forces, including the national intelligence and police, along with clan militiamen, obstruct and target journalists reporting on bombing sites and security incidents.

Moreover, reporting on human rights abuses, particularly those perpetrated by state actors, remains perilous territory. Online expression also faces constraints, as state actors repeatedly hound journalists on social media for any critical personal posts.

Emerging from a minority group, Yusuf’s experience is emblematic of this harsh climate, as he faced calls from government officials and police officers displeased with his coverage of the court case involving the abduction-like arrest and trial of the SJS’s Secretary-General, Abdalle Mumin in October last year.

Mumin’s case was initiated following criticism of a restrictive directive issued by Deputy Minister of Information Abdirahman Yusuf Al-Adaala, a figure known for harassing and threatening journalists. In fact, Al-Adaala was identified as the foremost perpetrator of media freedom violations in Somalia last year.

“They were not happy with the way I was reporting the court case, so they called me and told me to stop portraying the court as abusive. And indeed, this was an abusive court with corrupt officials,” Yusuf recounted.

Throughout 2022, arbitrary detentions, threats, and information restrictions escalated alarmingly, while federal and local authorities escalated attacks on journalists covering the government-declared war between government forces and Al-Shabaab in specific regions, according to SJS reporting. Amid this backdrop, two prominent journalists were killed, ten were injured, 84 journalists were arrested, and seven media stations/offices were shuttered due to their critical reporting.

In response to these perils, an increasing number of journalists, including three female reporters, have fled Somalia for countries like Turkey and Kenya, the SJS reported last year. These individuals, seeking refuge from mounting pressure and threats, found the climate for press freedom untenable.

Compounding these challenges, the Ministry of Information’s directive instituted a sweeping restriction on media freedom, banning critical or neutral reporting on Al-Shabaab and requiring journalists to refer to the group as ‘kharijites’.

“This directive amplified threats to journalists’ safety and curtailed their ability to report on anti-armed group operations, thus encroaching upon their media freedoms. That is why many journalists have now decided to leave the country,” says Hanad Guled, SJS secretary of training.

Opting for a treacherous journey, Yusuf embarked on a perilous odyssey to traverse the Mexican border into the U.S., driven by the imperative to seek asylum. His decision, he says, was spurred by the specter of death threats and potential retribution stemming from his journalistic endeavors within Somalia. For him this was the safest recourse, as he couldn’t defy the orders of the powerful, corrupt officials in his country.

However, others weren’t as fortunate, like Abdirahman Ahmed Aden, a freelance journalist and filmmaker with the New Humanitarian.

Members of the National Intelligence apprehended him, subjecting him to physical assault as he was returning from work with his camera equipment on June 5 this year. After the arrest, Abdirahman found himself confined to a dim and unsanitary cell for nearly 11 hours, only securing his release after the intervention of a family member.

“Blindfolded and beaten me with their pistols, they declared me a foreign spy, asserting they were searching for me,” Abdirahman recounted.

Before his eventual release, NISA operatives ominously warned of ongoing surveillance and issued threats of death if he were to reveal any details regarding his detention or the conditions he witnessed during his incarceration. Although he returned home, the specter of danger confined him to his residence for several anxious weeks.

“It was a harrowing experience, with my family deeply concerned for my safety. Consequently, I made the difficult decision to leave the country out of fear that they might target me again,” he further elaborated.

Presently in Kenya, where he spent his formative years as a refugee, Abdirahman is plagued by uncertainty about his well-being.

“I find myself living under a form of house arrest,” he apprehensively expressed.

The hostile climate in Somalia continues to endanger journalists, prompting an alarming flight from their homeland and casting a shadow on the nation’s commitment to press freedom.

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Celebrated every year on 3rd May, this year’s theme for the Day is “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights”, signifying the enabling element of freedom of expression to enjoy and protect all other human rights.

Unfortunately, Much worse than the previous years, judicial harassment on journalists and union leaders, threats through orders and directives that curtail press freedom and impose the journalists and the media houses to remain under self-censorship fearing government reprisals has become the norm and in this way, many stories with public interest went unreported.

The growing pressure against Somali journalists and lack of access to information call for concern. When journalists are blocked, threatened and their access to information denied, it will entrench a culture of impunity. Providing and presenting information to the general public, particularly on human rights violations promotes redress for the victims or to seek justice regarding perpetrators through legal action.

Lack of accountability for attacks against journalists is a serious and pervasive problem that threatens the protection of journalists and media workers in Somalia. 21 journalists have been attacked, arbitrarily detained or threatened for carrying out their duties including union officials from 1 January 2023 to 3 May, 2023. And yet the perpetrators are never held accountable.

On 1 May 2023, Three journalists working for the Shabelle Media Network and Universal TV were beaten and obstructed from exercising their journalistic duties after trying to cover a waste water from last week’s rain which harbour at a contaminated garbage site Fagah neighborhood in Mogadishu. Due to lack of proper drainage system, a heavy rainfall in Mogadishu resulted flooding and garbage seen in Mogadishu neighborhoods. The journalists accused director of the Sanitation department of the Banadir region Mohamed Suudi who ordered his guards to beat and obstruct the journalists from reporting. Among the journalists are Zakariye Ahmed Muse and Mahad Hasan Abdi Tawakal a reporter and a cameraman for the Shabelle Media Network and  Abdirisak Mohamed Qoslaye, a cameraman from Universal TV. According to the Shabelle Media Network, the same official threatened their cameraman Abdifatah Rooble the previous day.

On 23 April 2023, Somaliland police in Erigabo, Sanaag region, detained Bulsho TV reporter Abdilatiif Said Asayr following his report on a statement by the Erigabo mayor, Ahmed Isdebar, who instructed local police to deal with and stop “intermingling of men and women in the tourist locations”. The journalist was freed on 24 February from the police custody without charge.

On 23 April 2023, Somaliland news site reported that a court order issued by the Marodi-Jeh District Court instructed local telecom companies to block access to the social media accounts such as Facebook, Youtube and Twitter belonging to several individuals including journalists and other critics. All of them have been publishing news and commentary articles about the Laascaanood conflict. The court order was issued in January 2023 but has not been implemented yet.

On 27 April 2023, Somaliland ministry of information said it has lifted the suspension of the BBC Somali Service broadcast, which the ministry imposed on 19 July, 2022.  According to the Somaliland Minister of Information, Suleyman Yusuf Ali (Koore), the lifting of the suspension follows a series of meetings between Somaliland ministry of information and the BBC Somali Service representatives.

“Government officials should refrain from interfering, threatening and obstructing journalists’ work while on duty. We condemn any actions to threaten, harass and attack journalists in the strongest terms possible and we demand that those who involved in this latest attack to be held accountable for attacking journalists,” Mohamed Ibrahim, SJS President said, “Journalists work should be respected and regarded as positive contribution by shedding light on critical but important stories that the public has the right to know.”

“These attacks and vague directives from the Ministry of information led many journalists to flee the country and media houses to self-censor for fear of their safety, leading many important stories unreported,” Mr. Ibrahim added.

The post WPFD: Somali journalists subjected to threats, beating, arbitrary detention as authorities continue to deny journalists’ access to information appeared first on Kaab TV.

Since late January, authorities have suspended 15 foreign media outlets operating in Somali Regional State, and also revoked the license of a regional journalists’ association, according to news reports and people familiar with the cases.

“The recent suspensions of 15 media outlets the ban on a media association in Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State have eroded reporting in the region, and paint a picture of a government unwilling to make room for dissenting voices,” said CPJ Sub-Saharan Africa Representative Muthoki Mumo. “Authorities should allow journalists from these outlets to resume their jobs, ensure that enforcement of licensing regulations is not used to muzzle the media.”

On January 28, the Somali Regional State Communication Bureau,  a government office that oversees the region’s media, indefinitely suspended the 15 media outlets and their representatives from operating in the state, saying that they did not have the licensing required for foreign media outlets, according to a letter from the bureau reviewed by CPJ and multiple media reports.

Those outlets, all of which broadcast in the Somali language and have their headquarters outside of Ethiopia, include BBC Somali, Kalsan TV, Universal TV, Horyaal TV, Eryal TV, CBA TV, Horn Cable TV, Star TV, RTN Somali TV, STN TV, Goobjoog TV, Saab TV, Sahan TV, MM TV, and Five Somali TV, according to those sources.

In the letter, the communication bureau said it was complying with an earlier directive from the federal Ethiopian Media Authority to enforce federal licensing requirements. Federal regulations on foreign media registration, which came into force in May 2022, require foreign broadcasters opening a branch in the country to register with the media authority and prohibit journalists from contributing to foreign outlets without a registration certificate.

Abdulrazaq Hassan, chair of the Somali Region Journalists Association, a local media rights group, told CPJ via messaging app that most of those outlets did not have offices in Ethiopia, but instead worked with correspondents in the country.

The SRJA was quoted in those media reports saying that licensing was being used as pretext to shutter independent outlets, and that journalists from the 15 media companies had previously operated with permits from the regional communication bureau.

Abdulkadir Reshid Duale, the head of the Somali communication bureau, told CPJ in a statement that his office had issued temporary permits to the outlets in 2018, which had since expired. He said the media outlets had been warned about the need for federal licensing, and would be allowed to resume working once they had the federal license.

Journalists and managers from eight of the suspended outlets told CPJ that they had been previously granted permission to operate by regional authorities, that the steps to receive a federal license were not clear, and that the suspensions were enforced without adequate warning.

Also, on January 31, the Somali Region Justice Bureau, which oversees the registration of civil society organizations in the region, revoked the SRJA’s license and accused it of having “acted inappropriately,” according to a letter from the bureau reviewed by CPJ and a statement by the Center for Advancement of Rights and Democracy, an Ethiopian nongovernmental organization.

In a February 3 letter reviewed by CPJ, the communication bureau asked police and state security to take “appropriate action” against the SRJA, which it accused of operating illegally and “spreading incorrect and misleading messages.”

Separately, regional police detained Muhiyadin Mohammed Ali, a reporter with the U.K.-based broadcaster Kalsan TV, after he published a video on his personal Facebook page protesting the suspensions. He was released on February 2 without charge, according to news reports, a statement by the SRJA, and a person familiar with the case who spoke to CPJ on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of retaliation.  In his statement, Abdikadir said Muyihadin threatened a government official in the video.

The Ethiopian Media Authority did not respond to CPJ’s queries sent via messaging app and email.

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