In a new report released on Tuesday, GFC said the arrests were carried out by the Somali Police Force and the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA).

According to the organization, those detained appear to have been targeted solely for expressing opinions critical of the authorities or publishing content considered unfavorable to the Federal Government.

GFC said the arrests come amid heightened political tensions following the controversial extension of the mandates of the president whose mandate has ended Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and the Federal Parliament, whose constitutional terms expired in May 2026 and April 2026, respectively.

Opposition groups and civil society organizations have argued that the extensions have deepened political divisions and raised concerns over democratic governance.

Among the cases highlighted in the report is the arrest of 10 young social media influencers on June 28, after police accused them of promoting “indecent behavior” and content allegedly supporting homosexuality.

During a press conference at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters in Mogadishu, police spokesperson Abdifatah Aden Hassan said security agencies were pursuing additional suspects.

GFC said it had verified the identities of seven of those arrested, including one minor: Abdiqani Mohamed Dalmar (32), Abdulle Mohamed Abdi (30), Khusey Said Dahir (19), Ahmed Abdullahi Mumin (16), Abdiladiif Muuse Abdi (43), Abas Rufaaci Osman (19), and Farhan Ahmed Abuukar (19).

According to police sources cited by the organization, three of the original detainees have since been released without charge, while the remaining seven continue to be held. Family members told GFC the detainees are content creators on TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, where they primarily produced entertainment content.

The report also raises concerns over the detention of Mascuud Warsame, founder of the Mogadishu-based online news outlet Xogbile, who was allegedly taken by NISA officers on the night of June 30 shortly after leaving his office. GFC said NISA has neither acknowledged his detention nor disclosed the legal basis for his arrest.

According to the organization, Warsame remains in custody without charge and has not been brought before a court. Xogbile has frequently published reports critical of the recently installed South West State administration in Baidoa, which is backed by the Federal Government.

Another case highlighted is that of Mohamed Ali Mohamud, widely known as Qadaaye, a reporter for Iftiimiye TV, who was arrested on June 26 after reporting on a police officer who claimed senior officials had unlawfully suspended his salary.

GFC said Mohamud was detained for three days without charge before being released, while the police officer interviewed in the report was also reportedly arrested.

The organization further criticized the arrest of journalist Abdukadir Abukar Ali, known as Diirshe, who was detained on June 25 while covering proceedings at the Banadir Regional Court during the trial of women’s rights activist Sadia Moalin Ali.

Shortly before his arrest, Diirshe had published a video questioning the fairness of Sadia’s trial.

Banadir Regional Police Commander Mahdi Omar Mumin, known as Moalin Mahdi, later confirmed the arrest on Facebook, accusing the journalist of insulting the country’s judicial institutions.

According to GFC, Diirshe was held incommunicado for three days before being brought before a court and released on bail on June 28. However, the charges against him remain pending. The organization argued that such prosecutions are increasingly being used to intimidate journalists and discourage critical reporting.

GFC also expressed concern over the continued imprisonment of Sadia Moalin Ali, who was arrested on April 12, 2026, after participating in a peaceful protest in Mogadishu.

She was sentenced to three years in prison on June 25, a decision the organization says violates Somalia’s Provisional Constitution and its international human rights obligations protecting freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

“The Geeska Freedom Centre calls on the Federal Government of Somalia to end the arbitrary arrest, enforced disappearance and intimidation of journalists, media workers and social media users, and immediately and unconditionally release all individuals detained solely for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” said GFC Director Abdalle Ahmed Mumin.

The organization said it will continue monitoring the cases and urged Somalia’s international partners to publicly press the Federal Government to end what it described as an assault on civic space and to uphold the country’s constitutional and international human rights commitments.

The Federal Government, Somali Police Force, and NISA had not publicly responded to the allegations contained in GFC’s report at the time of publication.

The authorities have previously maintained that security operations and arrests are carried out in accordance with Somali law and are intended to protect public order and national security.

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The detained journalists are: Abdishakur Mohamed Mohamuud, a journalist with Somali Stream, Mohamed Ibrahim Bulbul, Secretary for Information and Human Rights at the Somali Journalists Syndicate – SJS  and Abdihafid Nur Barre, a staff member of Somali Cable TV.

The three journalists were arrested while they were in central Mogadishu, where they had gathered socially.

Sources familiar with the matter said that authorities have not yet officially disclosed the reason for their arrest or the location where they are being held, raising serious concern.

So far, no statement has been issued by the security agencies regarding the arrests.

The detention of these journalists is being linked to the ongoing political tensions in the country, particularly in Mogadishu.

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In recent months, freedom of the press in Somalia has  significantly deteriorated, while security challenges continue to rise. The Al-Shabaab militant group has recently escalated its campaign on Mogadishu and surrounding areas, launching raids and planting bombs in key civilian areas. In response, the authorities announced a ban on any reporting concerning the security situation in Mogadishu, which has left a large information gap for Somali citizens.

This illegal ban on reportage on the security situation has been used as a pretext to suppress press freedom in Somalia. Earlier this month, Somali Police arrested Feisal Omar (Reuters) for reporting on a protest by the Somali Bantu minority community, and the directors of a local outlet, Shabelle Media, Abukar Sheik Mohamud and Mahmud Abdinasir Soofeeysane, for hosting an interview on insecurity in Mogadishu.

This recent trend began in February 2025 after journalists reported on the United States embassy’s security alert regarding imminent attacks in Mogadishu. The local police commissioner in Mogadishu threatened to detain “anyone who reports on security issues in a hot and dark cell with no lights.” On March 18, after an Al-Shabaab bombing targeting the Somali President’s convoy outside the presidential palace, which sadly claimed the life of journalist Mohamed Abukar Dabaashe, Somali police arrested nineteen journalists from both local and international outlets who were on the scene to report the news. In addition, the police raided and shut down the offices of Risaala Media Corporation without a warrant after Risaala Media’s reporting on the bombing. Five other journalists were arrested and taken to the local police station for interrogation before being released with a warning not to report on security issues.

On March 25, journalist Ibrahim Mohamed Mayow was forcibly disappeared by armed officers linked to the regional police commissioner after reporting on an Al-Shabaab attack in the town of Afgooye, outside of Mogadishu. Mr. Mayow was summoned by the police commissioner after he published a video showing the aftermath of the mortar attack. Although local journalists went to the Afgooye police station to inquire about his whereabouts, the station informed them that they did not have him in custody. SJS confirms that Mr. Mayow was held in an undisclosed location until March 28, when he was driven to Mogadishu and thrown out of the car. The Somali police, who were responsible for his abduction, never issued any statement regarding his kidnapping or release.

Even journalists who were reporting on issues unrelated to the security situation have been caught up in the net of repression. On March 15, after journalist Bahjo Abdullahi Salad reported on leftover food and waste being dumped in a neighborhood in Mogadishu, agents from the National Intelligence and Security Agency raided her home, arrested her, and interrogated her for four hours. Her report was seen as a criticism of the Prime Minister, who had attended an event nearby that contributed to the dumping, and she was only freed after other journalists protested her detention.

“We are deeply alarmed by the escalating attacks on journalists across Somalia and the worsening security situation facing the media. The recent attacks on journalists in Mogadishu by Somalia’s police and national intelligence (NISA) and the death of journalist Mohamed Abukar Dabaashe in an Al-Shabaab bombing in Mogadishu, which also claimed the lives of innocent civilians, is a tragic reminder of the dangers journalists face while informing the public,” said SJS Secretary General, Abdalle Mumin. “Somali authorities must end this culture of silencing critical voices and ensure journalists can work without fear of violence, arrest, or intimidation.”

“The ban on reportage around security issues is not a permissible limitation to the right to freedom of speech under human rights law,” said Ikechukwu Uzoma, senior staff attorney at RFK Human Rights. “Somali authorities must begin to see a free press as a critical part of the advancement of peace and security in the country—journalism is not a crime,” he added.

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When a just governance system is in place, all citizens benefit from fair services, reliable security, economic development, and the protection of their rights.

But does Somalia have a government that serves its people equitably?

Is there truly equal justice under the law?

These are critical questions that are at the centre of this discussion.

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Traditional media vs. social media – how do they compare?

Has the influence of businessmen and politicians weakened media independence? How does this affect the voices of women and youth, who are often unheard in the media?

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