Ethiopia: Silencing Dissent – Criminalization of Freedom of Speech in Ethiopia’s Somali Region

In a troubling setback for democratic progress, the Somali Regional State has chosen repression over dialogue. In April 2025 alone, four journalists and activists–Abdi Mohamed Barud, Mohamed Aden Hassan, Ahmed Abdi Omar, and Ibrahim Abduqadir–were arrested in Jigjiga under opaque circumstances. Their offense? Exercising their constitutional right to free expression through digital platforms.