Somalia
2026
- GOVERNMENT
- transitional federal-parliamentary government: there is no permanent national government
- CONSTITUTION
- September 23, 1979
- LEGAL SYSTEM
- there is no national system; a mix of English common law, Italian law, Islamic law, and traditional Somali norms
- LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM
- unicameral, National Assembly
- JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- not operational: following the fall of the National Government, many regions reintroduced Islamic law and Somali customary law, with the possibility of appeal
RELIGIONS
Sunni Muslims
From the country
OCTOBER 3, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: SOLDIER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPE OF 4 YEAR OLD GIRL IN MOGADISHU
The military court of First Instance sentenced constable Mohamed Hussein Elmi to death following charges by the Office of the Prosecutor.
- SEPTEMBER 29, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: PUNTLAND MILITARY COURT SENTENCES ACTIVISTS TO DEATH AND JAIL TERMS
A Puntland military court has sentenced an Al-Shabaab suspect to death and jailed four others after being convicted of complicity in terrorism, officials said on 27 September 2020.
SEPTEMBER 28, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: AL-SHABAAB SAYS IT EXECUTES SPY AGENT AND SOLDIER
Al-Shabaab on 25 September 2020 publicly executed a man accused of spying for a regional intelligence agency and a soldier in the Hiran region.
SEPTEMBER 26, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: SHABAAB EXECUTES MAN ACCUSED OF SORCERY IN JILIB
A court run by the militant group Al-Shabaab in Middle Jubba region on 24 September 2020 publicly executed a man suspected to be a sorcerer.
- SEPTEMBER 24, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: AL-SHABAAB EXECUTED A MAN WHO CLAIMED TO POSSESS SUPERNATURAL POWERS
Al-Shabaab on 31 May 2020 sentenced a man named Abukar Haji Omar, 50, to death and executed him on the outskirts of Qoryoley town, in the Lower Shebelle region.
SEPTEMBER 2, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: TWO SOLDIERS EXECUTED FOR BOY’S FATAL RAPE
Two Somalia soldiers were executed on 18 August 2020 after being convicted of raping a 10-year-old boy who died from the bleeding, officials say.
- SEPTEMBER 1, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: MILITARY COURT SENTENCES SOLDIER TO DEATH FOR KILLING CIVILIAN
A military court in Somalia on 22 August 2020 sentenced a soldier to death by firing squad for killing a civilian in Southern Somalia.
- AUGUST 31, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: AL-SHABAAB EXECUTES FOUR MEN FOR SPYING
Al-Shabaab militants publicly executed four men on 23 August 2020 for spying for Somali intelligence agencies, Ethiopia, the U.S. and one working for the federal government according to the militants, which supports the Islamist group that's linked to al-
- JUNE 20, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: PUNTLAND EXECUTES THREE AL-SHABAAB MEMBERS
Three men recently sentenced to death by the Puntland High Court in Bossaso were shortly executed in a public field, Radio Dalsan reported on 14 June 2020.
JUNE 6, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: SHABAAB CUT OFF CONVICT’S HAND
A unit of Al-Shabaab militants chopped off the right hand of a resident at Don-Burale village, near Qoryoley town in Somalia's Lower Shabelle region on 1st June 2020.
MAY 31, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: PUNTLAND MARTIAL COURT EXECUTES A SOLDIER CONVICTED OF MURDER
Puntland Martial Court on 28 May 2020 oversaw the execution of Ahmed Adan Mohammed, who was found guilty of intentionally killing Hassan Shire Amaan, the former commander in charge of Bosaso Airport security.
MAY 16, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: MILITARY COURT SENTENCES TWO GOV’T SOLDIERS TO DEATH
A Military court on 13 May 2020 sentenced two hotel Maa’ida guards to death for killing military commander Mohamed Suleiman Abukar on 19 October 2019 in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu.