On May 18, 2026, police arrested journalist Omar Mohamed Omar in the breakaway republic of Somaliland’s northwestern town of Borama on accusations of filming an arrest, according to the Somaliland Journalists Association and Omar, who spoke to CPJ after his release.
Omar, who a journalist with privately owned Horyaal24 TV and publishes news on his Facebook page, told CPJ that he was questioned at Borama Central Police Station for filming the arrest of a man who the police said was causing unrest at Independence Day celebrations.
Omar told CPJ that he denied filming the arrest and got into an argument with the officer, who slapped him twice and then told his colleagues that the journalist had insulted him and should be sent to prison to tame his “arrogance.”
Less than an hour after his arrest, Omar was transferred to Gabiley Central Prison, without a trial or court order.
On May 23, he was freed without charged after his family and fellow journalists campaigned for his release.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but has not been recognized internationally, except by Israel in December 2025.
CPJ did not receive responses to emails sent to Somaliland’s ministry of information and the office of the president, or a query via messaging app to a number on the police’s Facebook page.