Jailed for Journalism: The Case of Ali Adan Mumin and Somalia’s War on the Press

A senior journalist arrested without warrant for reporting on Al-Shabaab territorial gains and criticizing the President — and what his case reveals about the systematic use of criminal law against Somalia’s media

Ali Adan Mumin was arrested without a warrant for reporting what happened: a factual account of Al-Shabaab capturing a district 86 kilometers from Mogadishu. Somalia’s constitution protects exactly this kind of reporting. The police who arrested him acted as though it did not exist.

Detained Without Warrant for Reporting What Happened

Ali Adan Mumin, a well-respected journalist associated with the privately-owned Goobjoog Media Group, was detained on March 1, 2025. Reports indicate that police acted without adhering to proper legal procedures, apprehending him without a warrant. This detention occurred after he published a Facebook post detailing the recent capture of War-ciise District by Al-Shabaab — located approximately 86 kilometers from Mogadishu — alongside other posts that criticized President Hassan Sheikh.

The arrest drew immediate and broad condemnation. Numerous lawmakers and opposition figures demanded his immediate and unconditional release. Opposition Leader Abdirahman Abdi Shakuur Warsame formally expressed his strong disapproval, emphasizing the need for his release and the termination of press repression. Member of Parliament Abdirahman Abdulkadir Adde also denounced the arrest. Government official Hassan Mohamed publicly criticized the actions of the Banadir regional police and called for Mumin’s unconditional release, stating: “A journalist should only face allegations through the established legal frameworks. Somalia possesses a press law and a press committed that uphold the principles of media ethics.”

“Ambiguous and unfounded allegations, such as purported insults to the head of state or disruptions to public security, inherently undermine the freedoms guaranteed to citizens by the Somali Constitution.” Hassan Mohamed, government official — calling for Mumin’s release, March 2025

What the Constitution Says, and What Was Ignored

Article 18 of the Somali Constitution stipulates explicitly that criticism of government officials, including the President, should not be deemed a crime. The press functions as a crucial pillar of accountability for government actions. Reporting factually on Al-Shabaab territorial movements is not incitement, not false reporting, and not an insult to the state. It is exactly the kind of reporting that the public, the government, and international partners need to understand what is happening in Somalia’s ongoing security crisis. Arresting a journalist for publishing that information is not law enforcement. It is suppression of reporting that reflects badly on the government.

Ismail Abukar, Chairperson of OPR, condemned Mumin’s wrongful detention, stating: “Such measures raise significant concerns regarding the freedom of the press and the safeguarding of journalistic rights within the country.” The OPR further calls for an urgent review of the Somali Penal Code to eliminate any provisions that contradict the constitution — including vague offenses such as “insulting the head of state” or “disrupting public security,” which have no defined evidentiary threshold and are routinely weaponized against critical journalism.

This Was Not the First Time

The March 2025 arrest was not Ali Adan Mumin’s first encounter with state detention. On May 28, 2024, he was summoned to a police station and subsequently arrested for “violating the rules of journalism.” He endured four days in detention without formal charges. During this period, he faced considerable pressure from police officers to confess to various allegations related to his Facebook posts. He was then presented in court and accused of insulting public officials, disrupting government operations, disseminating propaganda, and being “dangerous to the public.”

In response to his arbitrary detention in 2024, other journalists raised their voices and he was released under a court order. But the harassment did not stop there. Following threats from a National Intelligence Security Agency official, Mumin felt compelled to flee Somalia in January 2020 during an earlier period of targeting. The 2025 arrest is therefore not an isolated incident. It is the latest escalation in a pattern of sustained state targeting of a journalist whose reporting has consistently held officials to account.

Criticizing the President is protected by Somalia’s constitution. Reporting on Al-Shabaab’s advances is a public service. Neither is a crime. The arrest of Ali Adan Mumin treats both as though they are — and every journalist in Somalia is watching.