Journalists face arrests and assaults in Somalia and Egypt

Journalists in Somalia and Egypt are facing increased pressure and arrests while performing their duties.

In Somalia, the Somali Journalists Syndicate reported 13 arbitrary arrests in Mogadishu and 10 in the North Western State since January 1, 2026. Many incidents involved reporters covering protests or forced evictions. Recently, two Eryal TV journalists, Mukhtar Abdi Adan and Ibrahim Aden Mohamed, were allegedly assaulted by police and National Intelligence and Security Agency officers while documenting evictions in the Yaqshiid district. The journalists reported being struck with weapons, blindfolded, and detained for nine hours without charge.

In Egypt, security forces arrested the entire six-person newsroom of the independent investigative platform Matsda2sh during raids on September 28 and 29, 2026. Human Rights Watch stated that the journalists appear to have been forcibly disappeared, as families and lawyers have been denied contact. The Egyptian Interior Ministry acknowledged the arrests, alleging the journalists were preparing ‘fabricated news’ and claiming the platform has links to the Muslim Brotherhood, though specific criminal charges were not identified.