MOGADISHU, Somalia – 15 October, 2025: The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) welcomes today’s release of Himilo Media journalist Khadar Abdirahim Ibrahim after two consecutive days of court hearings in Mogadishu, Somalia, where he faced four defamation charges.
Two Himilo Somali TV (Himilo Media) journalists, Ahmed Mohamed Adan and Khadar Abdirahim Ibrahim, were detained on Sunday, 12 October 2025, by Somali police in Mogadishu following a raid on the station’s studio. As SJS reported earlier, Mr. Adan was released the same night, however his colleague Mr. Ibrahim remained in police custody and was charged on Tuesday, 14 October, with four counts brought by a police prosecutor instead of the Attorney General’s office.
After learning that a police criminal investigator had interrogated the journalist while in custody, SJS swiftly mobilized legal team, who rushed to the Banadir Regional Court on Tuesday to provide legal defense.
“Today, on the second day of the court hearing at the Banadir Regional Court, the police brought four charges against our client, journalist Khadar Abdirahim Ibrahim, in relation to his journalistic reporting. However, after our defense, the judge dismissed all charges and ordered our client’s release,” said defense lawyer Ali Halane.
The four charges included two under the Somali Penal Code—Article 220 (“Insulting the Honour and Reputation of the Head of State”) and Article 452 (paragraph 3) (“Defamation through Media”)—and two under the Somali Media Law (2020): Article 18 (“Registration of Journalists by the Ministry of Information”) and Article 29 (“Dissemination of False Information”).
The Somali Media Law remains problematic, and SJS has repeatedly raised concerns over its vague provisions, which threaten the work of independent journalists.
The journalist’s arrest was ordered by Mahdi Omar Muumin (Moalim Mahdi), the Commander of Mogadishu Police and a former defector from the Al-Shabaab militant group. The arrest followed Himilo Media’s coverage of forced evictions of vulnerable families, including women and children, in Mogadishu.
During the court proceedings, police presented several of the journalist’s reports, including one featuring an interview with an elderly man, Ahmed Siicow Mohamed, who was beaten and dragged by police officers and National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) agents during a forced eviction operation in the Siinaay neighborhood on 24 September. Other reports highlighted an injured man whose house was demolished and several displaced women left homeless, as Somalia’s capital continues to experience forced evictions that have affected more than 130,000 individuals, according to aid agencies.
Police also cited a fourth news report covering President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s recent failed talks in Kismayo with Jubaland authorities.
The defense lawyers stated that the journalist’s reporting was professional and conducted in accordance with the law, with no wrongdoing in any of Himilo Media’s broadcasts. The judge subsequently dismissed all charges and ordered the journalist’s immediate release.
However, the police prosecutor later announced their intention to appeal the verdict.
“I want to thank the media and fellow journalists for their solidarity and support. I also thank SJS for its prompt legal assistance and for standing with us from the beginning. We will continue to carry out our work professionally and without fear,” said Ahmed Mohamed Adan, the Director of Himilo Media and one of the two journalists arrested on Sunday. “We are not terrorists. We are journalists. We are free.”
SJS welcomes the release of Khadar Abdirahim Ibrahim and his colleague Ahmed Mohamed Adan, and urges the Somali police in Mogadishu to end ongoing legal harassment and intimidation against journalists working for Himilo Media.
“The release of Khadar Abdirahim Ibrahim is a victory for press freedom in Somalia. Journalists must be able to report on issues affecting the public, including the forced evictions of vulnerable families, without fear of arrest or intimidation,” said Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, Secretary General of the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS). “We call on Somali authorities to respect journalists’ rights and end all legal harassment of media professionals. We also urge all media organizations and journalists in Somalia to remain vigilant and united in defending press freedom. Arbitrary arrests and intimidation cannot silence the truth.
“SJS remains committed to providing legal support, advocacy, and protection for journalists across the country, ensuring they can continue their vital work safely and without fear,” added Mr. Mumin added.