On May 8, 2026, Somali security personnel detained freelance journalist Mohamed Ibrahim Osman, also known as Bulbul, and two other journalists at a restaurant in the capital Mogadishu’s Wadajir district, according to the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) and the three journalists, who spoke to CPJ after their release.
Several armed, masked officers approached the journalists’ table, beat and kicked Mohamed and Abdihafid Nur Barre, and arrested them, along with Abdishakur Mohamed Mohamud. Mohamed, who is also SJS’ information and human rights secretary, told CPJ the officers kicked his abdomen for refusing to hand over his phone.
The three journalists said they were held for several hours at the city’s Yaaqshiid district police station and transferred to the regional Banadir Police Headquarters, where they were questioned.
Mohamed told CPJ that Mogadishu police chief Colonel Mahdi Omar Mumin, also known as Malin Mahdi, questioned him about his May 7 article for The Guardian newspaper alleging that female activist Sadia Moalim Ali was abused in prison. On August 12, Sadia was released after 123 days in detention. Bulbul said Mahdi told him to stop critical reporting or leave the country.
The three journalists said they were released at around midnight on May 8 as Abdihafid required medical attention because his head was bleeding from a gun-barrel strike during the arrest. They said they were ordered to refrain from critical reporting.
CPJ did not receive responses to its requests for comment sent via messaging app in August 2026 to Information Minister Abdifitah Qasim Mohamud and police spokesperson Abdifatah Adan Hassan and in September 2026 to Mahdi.