Somalia
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Retentionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 5
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 15
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · In January, Majertein militia loyal to Mohamed Said...
- News items in the archive
- 477
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Somalia is classified as Retentionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 5 executions in the country, against 15 the year before. The archive holds 477 news items on Somalia, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
NOVEMBER 5, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: COURT IN PUNTLAND SENTENCES TWO MEN TO DEATH FOR RAPING AND KILLING A GIRL
A court in the semi-autonomous Somalia state of Puntland has sentenced two men to death for the rape and killing of a 14-year old girl, Somali Affairs reported on 4 November 2020.
OCTOBER 29, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: MILITARY COURT EXECUTES MAN FOR MURDER OF SOLDIER
Somali military court on 26 October 2020 executed a man by firing squad in Luq town of Somalia’s southern region Gedo.
OCTOBER 27, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: PUNTLAND MILITARY COURT SENTENCES TWO ISLAMIC STATE CONVICTS TO DEATH
A military court in the Puntland state of Somalia on 27 October 2020 sentenced two men with a death sentence and jailed one other to 20 years after being convicted of being a member Islamic State group (IS) and al-Shabaab group respectively.
OCTOBER 26, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: AL-SHABAAB MILITANT SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER PRISON BREAK
A military court in the Somali capital Mogadishu on 25 October 2020 sentenced to death by firing squad in absentia Idle Mubarak Ibrahim, an al-Shabaab militant, over the 12 August 2020 prison break at the Mogadishu Central Prison and the murder of two peo
OCTOBER 14, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: KISMAYO HOTEL ATTACKER SENTENCED TO DEATH
A military court in Kismayo, Somalia, on 13 October 2020 sentenced to death one of the attackers in the July 2019 bombing at a hotel in the coastal city that left 26 people dead and injured 50 others.
- OCTOBER 3, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: AL-SHABAAB PUBLICLY EXECUTES ELDER BY FIRING SQUAD
Al-Shabaab militants on 28 September 2020 publicly executed Hassan Aden Ali, 44, a renowned in Hiran, Central Somalia, using the firing squad.
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.
- APRIL 30, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: AL-SHABAAB EXECUTES THREE IN HIRAN REGION
Al-Shabaab on 28 April 2020 publicly executed in Galgadud region three men for alleged espionage activities.
- APRIL 7, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: SENATOR’S BODYGUARD SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
A former soldier was on 4 April 2020 sentenced to death by a navy court in Mogadishu for the homicide of a civilian.
- APRIL 1, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: AL-SHABAAB SAYS IT EXECUTED SIX PEOPLE IN SOMALIA FOR SPYING
Al-Shabaab on 31 March 2020 executed six men it said were spying for Somali intelligence agencies, the U.S. and Kenya, according to a broadcast on Radio Andalus, which supports the Islamist group that’s linked to al-Qaeda.
MARCH 31, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALILAND: PRESIDENT TO RELEASE 800 PRISONERS IN COMBATING COVID-19
Somaliland is due to release more than 800 prisoners on temporary basis in an effort to combat the spread of the new Coronavirus disease in the country’s crowded jails, The Somaliland Standard reported on 28 March 2020.
MARCH 16, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: SOLDIER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING CIVILIAN
A military tribunal in Somalia sentenced a military officer to death on 15 March 2020 for killing a civilian outside Somali capital, Mogadishu.
MARCH 3, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: TWO MEN EXECUTED FOR GIRL'S GANG RAPE AND MURDER IN PUNTLAND
Puntland authorities in northeastern Somalia on 11 February 2020 executed two men by firing squad for the gang rape
- FEBRUARY 4, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALILAND (SOMALIA): MILITARY COURT SENTENCES POLICE OFFICER TO DEATH FOR KILLING CIVILIAN MAN
The Supreme military Court in Somaliland has handed down a death sentence to a police officer who was found guilty of killing innocent man near Wajale town in Gebiley district, Somaliland New Agency (SOLNA) reported on 3 February 2020.
- JANUARY 27, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: AL-SHABAB ANNOUNCES IT PUBBLICLY EXECUTED THREE SOLDIERS
Somalia’s Al-Shabab Islamic extremist group says it has publicly executed three men accused of working with Somali troops and Kenyan Defence Forces (KDF), Garowe Online reports.
- JANUARY 16, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
THE EU STRONGLY OPPOSES EXECUTION OF INMATES IN SOMALILAND PRISONS
The European Union Ambassador of Somalia Nicolas Berlanga firmly expressed opposition over death penalty after police carried out the execution of six inmates in Mandera Prison near Berbera on 15 January 2020 morning.
- JANUARY 15, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALILAND (SOMALIA): SIX CONVICTS EXECUTED FOR MURDER AND TERRORISM
Six men who had been convicted for murder and terrorism in Somaliland were executed in Hargeisa on 15 January 2020.
JANUARY 10, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: OFFICER HANDED DEATH SENTENCE IN PUNTLAND, TO RECEIVE 67 CAMELS FROM STATE FOR HARM
A military court of appeal in Puntland on 6 January 2020 upheld the ruling of a lower court which sentenced to death a military officer who killed his boss at Bosaso port but ordered the government compensate the defendant for injuries suffered during his
- JANUARY 3, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: 7 AL SHABAAB MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH
Somali military court sentenced seven al Shabaab men to death for murder and terrorism, Allgalgaduud Media reported on 31 December 2019.