By Mohamed Abdi - Reporter
Hargeisa, 10 September 2026 Two Somaliland opposition parties have accused President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro's administration of mounting pressure on the media following the detention of Hassan Suleiman Harun, widely known as Hassan Galaydh, manager of Galaydh Media.
KULMIYE and KAAH condemned the journalist's detention in statements issued on Wednesday, describing the incident as a cause for concern over press freedom and freedom of expression.
KULMIYE said Galaydh was detained in Gabiley and later transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department headquarters in Hargeisa.
The party also said Galaydh had been among journalists who publicly raised concerns over the detention of another journalist known as Baylood, who KULMIYE says has been held for more than two weeks.
KULMIYE provided no evidence establishing that Galaydh's comments on Baylood's case were the reason for his detention.
KAAH, meanwhile, described Galaydh's arrest as part of what it called a pattern of violations aimed at silencing the media and accused the governing authorities of using state power to suppress critical voices.
The party argued that governments are strengthened not by detaining journalists but by tolerating criticism, upholding the law and allowing the media and public to express themselves freely.KULMIYE called for Galaydh's immediate release unless authorities have a valid court order or lawful criminal case justifying his detention.
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It also demanded the release of journalist Baylood and called on the government not to use state institutions to intimidate, pressure or silence journalists.
KAAH said journalists should be protected by due process when disputes arise from their reporting or public statements, stressing that media freedom remains central to democratic accountability.
KULMIYE further claimed that 47 journalists have been detained during nearly two years of Cirro's administration, saying the figure should prompt the government to reassess its approach toward the media and freedom of expression.
The party did not provide a list of the 47 journalists or details of each case, and the figure could not be independently verified.
The Somaliland government has yet to publicly respond to the latest allegations from KULMIYE and KAAH.
The statements have renewed debate over relations between Somaliland authorities and the media, particularly the balance between law-enforcement powers and the protection of press freedom and freedom of expression.