The arrest adds to a growing list of cases involving journalists detained by Puntland security forces since President Said Abdullahi Deni came to power in 2019.
Garowe, Somalia — July 20, 2026 — Puntland authorities are facing renewed criticism over press freedom following the arrest of another journalist on Monday, bringing the number of documented media detentions during the current administration to its highest level since Puntland’s establishment in 1998.
The latest journalist detained is Shu’ayb Daad Mohamed, who was arrested on July 20, 2026, in Bosaso. According to local media reports, he was taken into custody without a court-issued warrant and remains detained. Authorities have not publicly announced any formal charges against him.
The arrest adds to a growing list of cases involving journalists detained by Puntland security forces since President Said Abdullahi Deni came to power in 2019. Media rights advocates say many of these cases share a similar pattern: arrests carried out without judicial warrants, followed by releases without formal charges being filed or evidence publicly presented.
Over the past seven years, at least 13 journalists have been detained by Puntland authorities, according to documented cases, making the current administration the one associated with the highest number of journalist arrests in Puntland’s recent history.
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