On August 29, 2026, Somali journalist Abdiqani Hussein Abokor, also known as Baylood, was detained when he responded to a summons to the Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) headquarters in Hargeisa, capital of the breakaway region of Somaliland, after interviewing a poet.
On August 27, Abdiqani had published a video interview with Ismail Yusuf Abdi, also known as Jiheeye, a well-known local poet, who recited a poem warning Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi that he would be cursed if he did not intervene in authorities’ illegal seizure of two plots of land belonging to the poet.
Ismail was arrested the following day by Hargeisa security forces and Abdiqani was detained on August 29, according to the journalist’s lawyer, Tawakal Ibrahim Mohamed and the local press rights group Somaliland Journalists Association (SOLJA).
Abdiqani, who publishes news on his Facebook page, briefly appeared before Hargeisa’s Marodi-Jeh Regional Court that day and was remanded for seven days pending investigation. He was due to return to court on September 5 but did not, Tawakal said.
On September 15, Abdiqani was charged with spreading fake news and operating an unauthorized, or unregistered, media company, according to a copy of the charge sheet, reviewed by CPJ, and Tawakal. The charges each carry a maximum penalty of six months’ imprisonment.
On October 1 and October 4, Abdiqani and his co-accused, poet Ismail, were brought before the Marodi-Jeh Regional Court in Hargeisa. According to Tawakal, during the first hearing, the defense team requested that the court rule on the case. The prosecution objected to the request, and the court upheld the objection. During the second hearing, the judge raised concerns about the charges brought and ordered the prosecution to submit amended charges.
On October 5, Tawakal obtained a court order directing the management of the prison where Abdiqani was being held to provide him with medical care, following reports that he had becoming unwell in detention. As of October 7, CPJ was unable to confirm whether this order had been implemented.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but has not been recognized internationally, except for by Israel in December 2025. Authorities have cracked down on press freedom over the last year, with numerous arrests of journalists and media workers.
CPJ did not receive any responses to its September 2026 emailed requests for comment to the presidency and the information ministry and via messaging app to the police commission.