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
- 483
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 483 news items on Somalia, from 1999 to today.
In Somalia death sentences are largely handed down by military courts, including for offences committed by civilians, and the method is shooting. To these are added executions carried out by armed groups applying a parallel justice: these are not acts of a state, but they are documented all the same.
The archive gathers both, and distinguishes between them.
Latest news
MAY 26, 2015SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: AL-SHABAAB EXECUTES 4 FOR SPYING FOR KENYA AND ETHIOPIA
Al-Shabaab militants shot dead in the public four people they accused of spying for their enemies in
- MAY 19, 2015SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
the Somali military court executed a suspected member of the militant group Al- Shabaab for attacking
the Somali military court executed a suspected member of the militant group Al- Shabaab for attacking
MAY 13, 2015SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: MURDERERS OF MPS EXECUTED IN MOGADISHU
two suspected members of Al-Shabaab were executed by firing squad in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
MAY 2, 2015SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: MARTIAL COURT SENTENCES AL SHABAB MEMBER TO DEATH
Somalia’s martial court sentenced one man to death in a ruling that saw seven members of Al Shabab receive a diverse judgment.
APRIL 24, 2015SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: ISLAMIST MILITANTS EXECUTED MAN FOR BLASPHEMY
Al-Shabaab said it had executed a man in the south of the country for allegedly insulting the Prophet Muhammad.
APRIL 13, 2015SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALILAND: SIX MURDERERS EXECUTED BY FIRING SQUAD
After decades Somaliland has fulfilled death sentences imposed by the country's courts.
- APRIL 2, 2015SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
Somalia’s cabinet approved new legislation aimed at curbing the menace of terrorism in the country and
Somalia’s cabinet approved new legislation aimed at curbing the menace of terrorism in the country and
- MARCH 24, 2015SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: TWO FEDERAL GOVT SOLDIERS EXECUTED FOR CIVILIANS MURDER
Federal Government of Somalia’s military court executed two Somali National Army (SNA) soldiers for the murder of civilians, Garowe Online reported.
- MARCH 23, 2015SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALILAND: POLICE OFFICER SENTENCES TO DEATH OVER THE KILLING OF BUSINESSMAN
A police officer was sentenced to death in Somaliland following the murder of famous businessman in Qoton.
- MARCH 20, 2015SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: AL-SHABAAB MILITANTS EXECUTE 'ETHIOPIA SPY'
The Al-Qaeda linked extremist group in Somalia executed a man for allegedly being a spy for the
- MARCH 16, 2015SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: PUNTLAND MILITARY COURT EXECUTES 3 ALLEGED AL-SHABAAB MEMBERS
a military court in Somalia’s north eastern state of Puntland executed three alleged Al-Shabaab members in the city of Bossaso, Garowe Online reported.
- FEBRUARY 16, 2015SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: PUNTLAND COURT SENTENCES FOUR SUSPECTED MILITANTS TO DEATH
A court in Puntland, a semiautonomous region northern Somalia, sentenced four suspected militants to death
- FEBRUARY 12, 2015SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: SENIOR AL-SHABAAB LEADER EXECUTED IN GEDO REGION
Somali Government announced that Ahmed Ismail Ali, a senior Al-Shabaab leader in southern region of
- FEBRUARY 11, 2015SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: A 17-YEAR-OLD MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH IN SOMALILAND
A 17-year-old boy was sentenced to death by firing squad for the murder of his mother in law.
- FEBRUARY 5, 2015SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: SOMALILAND TO EXECUTE DEATH PENALTY CASES
Somaliland government declared that it will soon execute all the legal verdicts on death penalty, which were issued by country's courts.
JANUARY 6, 2015SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: AL-SHABAAB MILITANTS EXECUTED FOUR INFORMERS
Al-Shabaab militants executed four people accused of spying for the United States, Ethiopia and the
- JANUARY 4, 2015SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: AL-SHABAAB BEHEADS A TEENAGER FOR SPYING
- JANUARY 1, 2015SomaliaDEATH 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 23, 2014SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: AL-SHABAAB EXECUTE YOUNG MAN FOR SUSPECTED SPYING
Al Shabaab militants have executed a young man for suspected spying for the Federal Government of
- DECEMBER 4, 2014SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: MILITARY COURT EXECUTES THREE MEN IN MOGADISHU
Somali military court executed three men convicted of killing innocent civilians in the country. One among
- DECEMBER 2, 2014SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: AL-SHABAAB MILITANTS EXECUTE WOMAN ACCUSED OF SPYING
Al-Shabaab militants executed by firing squad a woman accused of espionage, the Islamist group and a
NOVEMBER 22, 2014SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: JUBALAND MILITARY COURT EXECUTES SOLDIER FOR MURDER
Jubaland military court executed a soldier convicted of killing a 9-year-old boy in the southern port city of
NOVEMBER 17, 2014SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: PUNTLAND COURT SENTENCES SIX MEN TO DEATH FOR AL-SHABAAB LINKS
Puntland military court sentenced six men to death after being found of guilty linked to Somalia’s militant
- NOVEMBER 12, 2014SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: MILITARY COURT SENTENCES TWO OFFICERS TO DEATH
Somali military court has sentenced two soldiers to death sentences for murder and rape cases respectively.
- NOVEMBER 5, 2014SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH AFTER HE BEHEADED A UNIVERSITY STUDENT
The Banadir Regional Court sentenced to death a man who was found guilty of killing a university student
- OCTOBER 26, 2014SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: PUBLIC EXECUTION FOR TWO CONVICTED MURDERERS
Two men convicted of murdering a journalist and a security official were executed in public in Somalia's
OCTOBER 21, 2014SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: ISLAMIST MILITANTS STONE 18-YEAR-OLD TO DEATH FOR RAPE
Al-Shabaab militants in southern Somalia publicly stoned an 18-year-old boy to death after he was accused of rape. The teenager, named as Hassan Ahmed Ali, was accused of raping a 28-year-old woman at gunpoint and sentenced to death by a local judge, Al
- OCTOBER 14, 2014SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALILAND: HIGH COURT HANDS DEATH SENTENCE TO FORMER POLICE OFFICER FOR KILLING FELLOW OFFICER
The High Court sentenced a Maulid Mohamed Sudi, police officer to death for the killing of his fellow police
- OCTOBER 13, 2014SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: PUNTLAND MILITARY COURT SENTENCES A MAN TO DEATH FOR PLOTTING LANDMINE
Puntland Military court sentenced to death a man who was found guilty for plotting a landmine.
- OCTOBER 7, 2014SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: MILITARY COURT SENTENCES TWO SOLDIERS TO DEATH FOR MURDER AND RAPE
Somali military court sentenced to death two government soldiers who were earlier accused of murder and