MOGADISHU, Somalia 14 December 2025 – The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) expresses grave concern over the unlawful arrest, ethnicity-based discrimination, and alleged torture of journalist Sharif Shuriye Hashi, who has been held at a police station in Jowhar town, Hirshabelle State, since Monday, 8 December 2025.
Sharif Shuriye Hashi, a 35-year-old reporter for Universal Somali TV, was arrested from his home in Jowhar on 8 December by Hirshabelle State police officers. According to local journalists, the arrest was led by Hassan Jabshe, Deputy Commander of the Jowhar Police Station.
Sharif’s newly wedded wife, Hamdi Muse Digow, also 35, was arrested on the same day. Both remain in police custody.
During the arrest, Sharif told SJS that he was beaten, handcuffed with a rope, and that he sustained injuries during the beating, including swelling at the back of his head, and continues to suffer severe pain. He added that he has been denied access to medical care. A family member also informed SJS that they are deeply concerned about his deteriorating health due to the abuse and lack of medical attention while in detention.
On Saturday, 13 December, police brought Sharif and his wife before the Jowhar District Court, alleging that their marriage—conducted in September 2025—was “illegitimate.”, according to a report by the local media. Authorities reportedly claimed that Sharif, who belongs to the Jareer (Bantu) community, could not lawfully marry a woman from the Hawiye/Hawadle clan. This information was reported by Himilo Media and confirmed to SJS by a journalist and a clan elder who attended the court hearing.
During the proceedings, Sharif and Hamdi maintained that they are “legally and willingly” married and presented witnesses to their nikah, which took place on 25 September 2025 in Jowhar, according to a document seen by SJS. Jowhar police also produced a local sheikh, whom Sharif identified as the cleric who conducted the nikah, along with proof of mobile money payment used during the nikah ceremony. However, according to those present in court, the same sheikh later recanted his statement to the court and stated that he had not conducted the marriage.
Hamdi Muse Digow, who remains in detention, spoke to a local journalist stating that she and her husband were “arrested due to pressure from her clan”. She stated that she is “being detained for marrying a man with whom she had been in a relationship for ten years”.
A clan elder, who requested anonymity, told SJS that elders from both communities met following the court hearing on Saturday to resolve the matter. The discussions ended without agreement, as members of Hamdi’s family reportedly insisted that intermarriage with the Bantu community “was unacceptable”. Other sources informed SJS that Deputy Police Commander Hassan Jabshe, who is heavily involved in the case, belongs to the same clan as Hamdi.
Both Hassan Jabshe and the Jowhar police command declined to speak to SJS.
Sharif Shuriye Hashi comes from the historically marginalized and often oppressed Jareer (Bantu) community in Southern Somalia. He migrated from Buloburte in central Somalia several years ago, where he began his career as a junior radio reporter for a local radio statiom. In Jowhar, he worked for the local radio station City FM before joining Mogadishu-based Universal Somali TV as its Jowhar correspondent.
In recent weeks, Sharif reported on two significant and sensitive stories. On 23 November 2025, he reported that “fuel prices had sharply increased” after al‑Qaeda-linked al‑Shabaab militants blocked roads to Jowhar and arrested tanker drivers transporting fuel from Mogadishu. Just days before his arrest, On 2 December 2025, he reported “a sharp rise in sesame crop prices in Jowhar markets“, attributing it to recurring droughts and floods affecting farmers in Middle Shabelle.
Local authorities in Hirshabelle have a history of targeting journalists and censoring media outlets that report on underdevelopment in the region and the impact of al-Shabaab’s presence on the livelihoods of local communities.
“SJS strongly condemns the unlawful arrest, abuse, and continued detention of journalist Sharif Shuriye Hashi and his wife Hamdi Muse Digow. Their detention represents a blatant abuse of power, driven by discrimination and intimidation rather than the rule of law. We call for their immediate and unconditional release and for an end to these unfounded court proceedings, which are being used as a tool to harass and silence a journalist for his work,” said SJS Secretary General, Abdalle Mumin.
“The police must focus on their core responsibility of ensuring public security and protecting civilians, not arresting journalists or making false and intrusive accusations about the legality of personal marriages. Such actions undermine justice, violate fundamental rights, and erode public trust in law enforcement,” Mr. Mumin adds “We also urge international partners supporting the Somali police to closely scrutinize this case and ensure that their assistance does not contribute to human rights abuses, discrimination, or the suppression of media freedom.”