Mogadishu – Somali police announced Monday that seven young men have been arrested in the capital for posting TikTok videos deemed disrespectful toward President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
According to police officials, the suspects were taken into custody following an investigation by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), which has been monitoring online content amid concerns about rising political dissent and misuse of social media.
Authorities said the youths uploaded clips mocking and verbally insulting the head of state, an act that security forces described as “unlawful and harmful to public order.”
“The arrested individuals will be processed through the courts. Freedom of speech is a constitutional right, but it does not permit direct insults and slander against national leaders,” a police spokesperson told reporters in Mogadishu.
The arrests have stirred debate among social media users, with some supporting the government’s move to curb online abuse, while others expressed fears it could suppress free expression, especially among young people who increasingly use TikTok as a platform for political commentary and satire.
Legal experts note that Somalia lacks a comprehensive cybercrime law, leaving authorities to rely on broadly interpreted penal codes when handling cases related to online speech. Human rights advocates have previously cautioned against the misuse of such provisions to silence critics.
The detainees are expected to appear before court later this week as investigations continue.