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
APRIL 30, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: MILITARY COURT SENTENCES POLICE OFFICER TO DEATH
A Somali military court on 29 April 2019 sentenced a police officer to death, after he was found guilty of murdering a civilian in Mogadishu on 6th January, this year.
APRIL 3, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: MAN EXECUTED FOR RAPE, MURDER OF GIRL
A man on 5 March 2019 was executed for the rape and murder of an 18-year old girl in a village near the regional capital of Gedo region of the Jubaland Federal State of Somalia.
APRIL 2, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: AL-SHABAB SAYS IT EXECUTED 4 ACCUSED SPIES
Somalia's al-Shabab Islamic extremist group says it has executed four men accused of spying for the British, Djibouti and Somali intelligence agencies.
MARCH 22, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: MILITARY COURT SENTENCES TWO AL-SHABAB MILITANTS TO DEATH
Somalia's military court on 20 March 2019 sentenced two al-Shabab militants to death for their participation in terrorist attacks and killings.
- FEBRUARY 25, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: MILITARY COURT SENTENCES SOLDIER TO DEATH FOR KILLING CIVILIAN
A military tribunal in Mogadishu has sentenced a government soldier to death for killing a civilian in Mahad district in Middle Shabelle region, south of Somalia, radioshabelle.com reported on 25 February 2019.
JANUARY 21, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: MILITARY COURT SENTENCES ARMY OFFICER TO DEATH
Somali military court on 17 January 2019 sentenced military army officer to death after finding him guilty of murdering a police officer in Mogadishu on 6 October 2018, officials said.
JANUARY 14, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: SOMALI SOLDIER GIVEN DEATH SENTENCE FOR MURDERING CIVILIAN
Somali military court on 12 January 2019 sentenced an army officer to the death penalty after he was found guilty of intentionally killing a civilian identified as Dayah Iman Hassan on 21st October last year near Seybiyano locality in Hodan district, Moga
- JANUARY 8, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: MILITARY EXECUTES TWO AL-SHABAAB MEMBERS IN MOGADISHU
Somali military authorities on 7 January 2019 executed two members of the Al-Shabaab militia group in the capital of Mogadishu, after being convicted for the murder of a traditional elder in Mogadishu.
- JANUARY 1, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
The penal code of Somalia represents an amalgam of various legal systems and traditions.
The penal code of Somalia represents an amalgam of various legal systems and traditions.
- DECEMBER 31, 2018SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALI TROOPS EXECUTE SIX MILITANTS IN GEDO REGION
Six members of the Al-Shabaab militia group were executed on 31 December 2018.
DECEMBER 29, 2018SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: MILITARY COURT EXECUTES AL-SHABAAB ASSASSIN IN BAIDOA FOR THE MURDER OF A PROMINENT CLERIC
Somali military court on 29 December 2018 executed Al-Shabaab member who assassinated a famous cleric in Baidoa last year.
- DECEMBER 27, 2018SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALI MILITARY COURT EXECUTES DEATH SENTENCE
The mastermind of militant car bombs that killed 26 people and injured nearly 40 others in Mogadishu in 2017 was executed in Somalia 24 December 2018, the prosecutor of the military court said.
- DECEMBER 21, 2018SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: AL-SHABAAB EXECUTES SUSPECTED GOVERNMENT MILITARY OFFICER
The firing squad of the Al-Shabaab militia group on 19 December 2018 publicly executed a suspected government military officer in Middle Shabelle’s Galboole village.
DECEMBER 14, 2018SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: AL-SHABAAB EXECUTES THREE MEN, INCLUDING FORMER ELECTORAL DELEGATE
Al-Shabaab militant killed three men in an execution-style, accusing two of them working with the Somali army, Radio Shabelle reported on 12 December 2018.
NOVEMBER 20, 2018SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: EX-JUBBALAND COP EXECUTED FOR MURDER
A former member of the Jubbaland armed forces was executed on 19 November 2018 in Kismaayo for the killing of a prominent elder.
- NOVEMBER 16, 2018SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: MILITARY COURT IN PUNTLAND SLAPS 4 MEN WITH DEATH PENALTY
A military court in Puntland state has sentenced four men to death penalty over charges of terrorism, sources confirmed on 14 November 2018.
- NOVEMBER 5, 2018SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: MILITARY COURT SENTENCES SOLDIERS TO DEATH FOR KILLING
Somali Military Court has on 5 November 2018 sentenced two members of armed forces to death for murder.
- OCTOBER 27, 2018SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
in the southern district of Saakow, Habiba Ali Isaq, a 30 year old mother of eight children, was
in the southern district of Saakow, Habiba Ali Isaq, a 30 year old mother of eight children, was
- OCTOBER 15, 2018SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: PERPETRATOR EXECUTED ON ANNIVERSARY OF DEADLIEST ATTACK
Somalia on 14 October 2018 executed by firing squad a man linked to one of the country's deadliest ever attacks, one year after the tragedy which left over 500 dead, a court statement and police sources said.
- OCTOBER 10, 2018SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: AL-SHABAAB EXECUTES FIVE MEN ACCUSED OF SPYING
Somalia’s al Shabaab Islamists on 9 October 2018 shot five men in a public execution, including a Somali British citizen accused of spying.
- SEPTEMBER 27, 2018SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: ISIL AND AL SHABAAB MEMBERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
Somalia’s Puntland military court on September 26, 2018 sentenced alleged Al Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab and Islamic State groups’ members to death and life in prison.
- SEPTEMBER 24, 2018SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: MILITARY COURT IN BELEDWEYNE SENTENCES A SOLDIER TO DEATH
A military court in Beledweyne on September 22, 2018 sentenced a soldier to death for killing a civilian in the district late last month.
JULY 22, 2018SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: AL SHABAAB CUTS OFF HAND OF SOMALI MAN FOR ‘STEALING’
Somali militant group Al-Shabaab cut off the right hand of a suspected thief in Kunyo Barrow.
- JULY 3, 2018SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: AL-SHABAAB EXECUTES ELECTORAL DELEGATE IN MIDDLE SHABELLE
Al-Shabaab militant group has shot dead an elder, who took part in 2016 elections as a delegate.
JUNE 22, 2018SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: MILITARY COURT EXECUTES THREE SOLDIERS OVER KILLINGS
Somali military court in Jubbaland has executed three government soldiers who were found guilty of killing civilians.
JUNE 21, 2018SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: MILITARY COURT SENTENCES SOLDIER TO DEATH OVER MURDER
The Somali military court has sentenced a government soldier to death over the murder of a colleague in Mogadishu.
JUNE 14, 2018SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA - DEATH PENALTY AND TERRORISM
PROJECT OF HAND OFF CAIN
- MAY 30, 2018SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: MILITARY COURT SENTENCE 2 AL-SHABAAB OPERATIVES TO DEATH OVER NASA HABLOD HOTEL ATTACK IN MOGADISHU
Somali military court handed a death sentence to two Al-Shabaab operatives for their role in the deadly attack on Nasa Hablod hotel in the capital, Mogadishu.
- MAY 28, 2018SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: TWO KENYAN AL-SHABAAB FIGHTERS EXECUTED FOR SPYING FOR KDF
Al Shabaab terror group executed two Kenyans it accused of spying for Somali and Kenyan intelligence services.
MAY 9, 2018SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: WOMAN STONED TO DEATH AFTER AL-SHABAB CONVICTION
The Somalia-based extremist group al-Shabab says it has stoned to death a woman accused of marrying 11 men.