Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Police in Somalia detained four titkers for allegedly insulting President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in a dance video.
In the report, several young people see how they dance in the remix of a company that was originally used during the Presidential election in 2022, but with the texts changed to include humiliating language.
In a statement, police said the suspects were in custody and were officially accused. They did not commented on after the arrest.
In the past, several influential media were arrested and imprisoned for the spread of the clan -based icon, incitement or “immoral” content on platforms such as Tiktok – but this is the first case related to a leading politician.
Last August, seven titkers were sentenced to six months in prison in the Mogadysh capital for provoking civil unrest and distributing immorality.
Authorities said the behavior in a recent video was removed, but is still widespread on the tiktok and other social media platforms – a criminal offense under Somali legislation.
Police -Secretary of Police Gen Abdifat Adene warned the public that anyone involved in such actions that disrespect for national institutions or leaders will “face the full force of the law.”
The arrests again assumed a public discussion regarding the role of social media in Somalia, in particular Tiktok, which was at the center of disputes in the past.
Some have expressed support to the young people, while others defended the arrests, saying that freedom of speech should not extend to such levels – especially in a country that is still fighting gentle management.
Tiktok is a popular platform in Somalia and in a large diaspora – especially among young people who use it for political comments and satire.
Many also use it for business as well as source of fun.
In 2023, the government considered the possibility of banning the platform, referring to national security concerns, dissemination of misinformation and erosion of social and moral values.
The ban was not implemented at the time from a strong public opposition, but officials warned that the platform is increasingly used to distribute harmful content, including extremist propaganda and defamatory material.
