The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) strongly condemns the brutal and unprovoked assault on female journalist Shukri Aabi Abdi, a reporter for Risaala TV, by plainclothes officers of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA). This heinous attack occurred on Tuesday, 17 December 2024, at Mogadishu's Daljirka Dahsoon, where local residents were peacefully protesting against the demolition of their homes.
Shukri, accompanied by cameraman Ali Hassan Gure, was covering the protest and conducting interviews with affected civilians when NISA officers launched a vicious and unprovoked assault. According to video footage and photographs of the incident reviewed by NUSOJ, the officers used batons and threats to silence her. Shukri sustained severe injuries to her head, neck, arms and other parts of her body, leaving her in immense pain and distress.
"I have suffered greatly. I have injuries to my head, neck, arms and all over my body. I am in severe pain and have endured immense harm," Shukri told NUSOJ. "While I was simply carrying out my work, the NISA officers attacked me without speaking a word, issuing no warnings or orders to stop. Instead, they began with physical violence and continued to assault me brutally. There are no arrests or a clear path to justice."
Immediately following their violent attack on Shukri, the errant NISA officers detained cameraman Ali Hassan Gure for three hours, according to his statement to NUSOJ. Once the protesters dispersed and Shukri had left the scene, the cameraman was taken to a secret service detention centre. Senior commanding officers of NISA then reportedly sought to resolve the issue discreetly, proposing an informal settlement to evade accountability. They suggested releasing the detained cameraman on the condition that Shukri accept a verbal apology.
After the cameraman's release, the commanding officers contacted Shukri to offer a verbal apology over the phone. However, she firmly rejected this inadequate and insincere gesture, demanding full justice and accountability for the violence inflicted upon her. She made it unequivocally clear that a superficial apology, offered without any concrete consequences for the perpetrators, was unacceptable.
NUSOJ is outraged by this attack and demands an immediate, transparent and independent investigation into the incident. The officers involved must be held accountable and appropriate punitive measures must be taken to ensure that such egregious abuses of power are not repeated. NUSOJ also calls for robust protections for journalists who face threats, violence, or attempts to silence them, particularly in this case, where there may be reprisals against Shukri for speaking out about the gravity of the attack.
"This despicable attack on journalist Shukri Aabi Abdi and the brief arrest of Ali Hassan Gure by NISA officers is an affront to press freedom and a violation of basic human rights. It is an unacceptable abuse of power by individuals tasked with safeguarding the public, not silencing journalists," said Omar Faruk Osman, NUSOJ Secretary General.
"Violence against female journalists is particularly reprehensible, as it not only targets their professional work but also seeks to exploit their vulnerabilities in a deeply patriarchal society. This attack on Shukri Aabi Abdi is a direct assault on her dignity and her fundamental rights. We stand in steadfast solidarity with her and we demand justice that goes beyond empty apologies and ensures the perpetrators are held fully accountable for their actions," Osman added.
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NUSOJ stands in full solidarity with Shukri and supports her pursuit of justice and accountability, ensuring that the perpetrators are brought to justice and the matter is not resolved in secrecy. Violence against journalists is not only a crime against individuals but an attack on the public's right to information, the people's right to protest peacefully and the freedom of journalists to carry out their essential work without fear.
