Trial of the Somali press union leader arrested by authorities continues

Abdalle Mumin, the head of one of Somalia’s unions of journalists, has faced his third court appearance as part of an ongoing trial on charges of incitement. Mumin was arrested last October after speaking out against a government ban on media coverage of the activities of al-Shaabab, an extremist group.


Somalia has recently been experiencing success in its offensive against the militants. In response to the charges, Mumin’s lawyers are requesting that the court call upon government officials linked to his arrest.

Mr Mumin, who is the secretary-general of the Somali Journalists Syndicate, is facing incitement charges for criticising a government ban on reports about al-Shabab.

The court case of Mr. Mumin has revealed the ongoing dangers that journalists in Somalia face when reporting on the al-Shabab insurgency or advocating for press freedoms.

Following the issuing of the directive, Somali authorities have closed down hundreds of al-Shabab affiliated outlets and have ordered the media to refer to the group as “khawarij”, meaning ultra-extremists.

As a result of the circumstances, the case was postponed to a later date to be determined next week.