Human Rights Centre condemns the increasing arrests of journalists

On May 24, 2025 Journalist Abdiqadir Mohamed Aw Hassan was arrested in Hargeisa. The journalist was detained over a post he shared on his Facebook page about the President of Somaliland, Mr. Mohamed Abdirahman Abdillahi. Mr. Abdiqadir Mohamed Aw Hassan has been brought before the court and legal proceedings are ongoing. Likewise, on July 1, 2025, another journalist, Yasir Ahmed Abdillahi, an independent reporter, was also arrested in Hargeisa. Mr. Yasir remains in custody. To date, the reasons for his arrest remain unclear, and his detention has not followed proper legal procedures. The Somaliland Constitution prohibits the unlawful deprivation of personal liberty, as stated in Article 25(2) “No person may be deprived of their liberty except in accordance with the law.” In recent times, there has been a growing trend of unlawful arrests targeting journalists, in direct violation of the national constitution and international human rights standards. Article 32(3) states “The press and other media are part of the fundamental freedoms of expression and are independent. All acts to subjugate them are prohibited, and a law shall determine their regulation”.

The Center expresses serious concerns over the increasing crackdown on independent media in Somaliland. Between January and June 2025, the Center has recorded the arrest of 16 journalists, all of whom were detained in violation of legal procedures. This trend is a clear threat to freedom of expression and fundamental human rights of individuals in Somaliland.  Moreover, several politicians have recently been summoned by the Criminal Investigation Department for questioning over statements and articles they shared in the media concerning political issues in the country, raising further concerns about the government’s increasing efforts to suppress dissent and stifle media freedom. Article 32(1) of the Somaliland Constitution guarantees that “Every citizen shall have the freedom, by the law, to express his opinions orally, visually, artistically or in any other way.”

The Human Rights Center calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the detained journalists and urges an end to the arbitrary and unlawful arrests targeting independent media.

Yasmin Omar H. Mohamoud
Chairperson of the Human Rights Center

Hargeisa, Somaliland
hrcsomaliland@gmail.com
Twitter: @hrcsomaliland