Somali police have detained Shabelle Media’s executive director, Aboukar Sheikh Mohamud, along with his deputy, Mohamud Sofeysane, in Mogadishu.
The two were jailed at Hamar-weyne police station after airing an interview with an opposition leader who had openly criticized the government last week.
Sofeysane was summoned to the police station on Saturday and was arrested immediately upon arrival.
Director Mohamud, who accompanied him, was also taken into custody shortly after a brief interrogation—without any clear legal grounds.
The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) condemned the arrests, calling them a direct attack on press freedom.
NUSOJ Secretary General Omar Faruk Osman warned the detentions signal an escalating effort to silence independent journalism in Somalia.
He said journalists are being punished for doing their jobs, reporting hard truths, and enabling public debate.
Osman stated the arrests stem solely from airing an interview with a political figure critical of the government.
He accused police of abusing power and acting without accountability to stifle journalists and dissent.
“This isn’t law enforcement—it’s repression. Somalia must not become a police state,” he added.
NUSOJ also called for the unconditional release of the journalists, calling their detention a blatant violation of fundamental human rights.
“Silencing independent journalists is a clear and dangerous sign of clamping down the civis space,” Osman said.
“This repression will not bury the truth. We will not be intimidated. We will not be silenced.”
Somalia remains the most dangerous country in Africa for journalists, with over 50 media workers killed since 2010.
