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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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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If left unchallenged, this move risks enabling the whitewashing of grave human rights violations across the country.

On Saturday, 31 May 2025, SJS observed media reports indicating that the Minister of Women and Human Rights had began the selection of the members of the yet-to-be-formed NHRC. This body, according to the Provisional Constitution, is to be established by the Federal Parliament, not by the President’s Office or a cabinet minister.

It is deeply concerning that Minister Khadija Mohamed Al-Makhzoumi, acting under instructions from President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, proceeded this process without transparency and legal clarity thereby violating both national laws and international norms.

SJS reiterates the urgent need for a genuinely independent National Human Rights Commission, as articulated in Article 41 of the Provisional Constitution, which states:
“The Federal Parliament shall establish a Human Rights Commission that is independent of State control, and has adequate resources to carry out its functions effectively.”

The Constitution also states what functions this commission is going to undertake and it states “The functions of the Human Rights Commission (NHRC) shall include the promotion of knowledge of human rights, setting implementation standards, monitoring rights violations, and investigating alleged abuses.”

In addition, Law No. 18 of 2016, enacted on 14 August 2016, provides the legal framework for the Somalia National Human Right Commission, emphasizing its “independence from government control, transparency, and autonomy in decision-making.”

Contradictions in the Current Process

Despite these clear legal provisions, the current process was initiated by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, through Minister of Women and Human Rights, Khadija Al-Makhzoumi, without any legal basis or public participation. Individuals—many with ties to government ministries or personal connections to top officials—were invited for a so-called examination, without a publicly announced or merit-based selection procedure.

This is not the first irregularity.  In December 2023, the same ministry sent emails calling for NHRC applications via email (seen by SJS) and has been reported by the media. However, many qualified applicants reported receiving no response. Later, they discovered through the media that certain individuals had already been selected without public vetting or due process.

Why is the government pushing this now?

Somalia has never had an independent national human rights commission. For years, federal authorities in Mogadishu have delayed or resisted the establishment of a credible NHRC. The process has been plagued by political interference, lack of transparency, and non-compliance with constitutional and international obligations.

This move comes at a time of intense political instability and fragmentation in Somalia. The federal government’s relations with Puntland and Jubaland have deteriorated. Meanwhile, unilateral constitutional amendments and electoral reforms are being pushed forward by President Hassan Sheikh’s administration. Simultaneously, attacks on journalists, human rights defenders, and civilians by both the government and Al-Shabaab have increased.

Establishing a government-controlled NHRC in this volatile context would not serve justice—it would only legitimize repression, whitewash abuses, and shield violators from accountability.

SJS reminds the Somali government—particularly the Ministry of Women and Human Rights and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud—that the NHRC must be formed in line with international norms, notably the Paris Principles, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1993, and reinforced by the Kigali Declaration (2003) of the African Union.

The Paris Principles emphasize:

• Transparent and participatory selection processes involving civil society, academia, and human rights organizations.
• Merit-based selection of the commission members grounded in integrity and commitment to human rights.
• Public calls for applications, background checks, and open vetting.
• Independent, pluralistic selection committees free from political influence.
• Parliamentary oversight and legal grounding to ensure independence and legitimacy.

Similarly, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) Resolution 31 requires that NHRIs: (a) Be established by constitutional or legislative mandate; (b) Be independent of government control; (c) Have a broad, actionable mandate, including powers to investigate, report, and recommend action; (d) Be financially autonomous.

What we witnessed on Saturday in Mogadishu stands in direct violation of all these standards.  SJS calls on the Federal Government of Somalia to immediately halt the ongoing process and restart the formation of the NHRC in full compliance with Article 41 of the Provisional Constitution and international standards.

SJS makes the following recommendations:

• The Somali government must reform the election process and ensure it is legally grounded, publicly communicated, and free from political interference in any form.
• As requires by the Constitution, the Parliament must establish an Independent Selection Committee and include credible and trustworthy representatives from civil society, minority groups, academia, and legal experts with clean background.
• The Parliament must ensure transparent vetting and appointment procedures, and base appointments on objective, merit-based criteria with public oversight.
• The federal government must guarantee NHRC independence and the commission must operate free from government control or political manipulation.
• The Parliament must ensure oversight to ensure that all appointments must be reviewed and confirmed by the Federal Parliament following broad consultations with civil society.
• The selection committee must prevent rights abusers from involvement in the committee and individuals implicated in human rights violations must be barred from participating in the selection process or serving on the commission.

SJS Call to Somali Civil Society

SJS urges independent Somali civil society organizations to take a proactive role in advocating for a credible, inclusive, and transparent NHRC formation process. Somalia deserves a national human rights institution that defends victims and holds all actors accountable, including the state.

SJS Call to the International Community

SJS also call on international partners, and development organizations to closely monitor this process and ensure that any support provided aligns with international human rights standards and promotes a genuinely independent NHRC.

“This flawed process of the selection of the National Human Rights Commission can and must be corrected. SJS affirms that a credible, independent National Human Rights Commission is far better than a politicized, government-controlled one. Somalia needs an National Human Rights Commission that protects the rights of its people—not one that enables impunity,” said SJS Secretary General, Abdalle Mumin.

(Source: SJS)

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Does media programming address the needs of youth and women?

This is the focus of our discussion in this segment of the #Baraarug Forum.

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