Capital punishment in Somalia

Capital punishment in Somalia is legal. The death penalty is the most severe punishment in the country, and is reserved for capital crimes.

Methods

Military firing squads are officially used for capital crime offenses. They are reserved for capital crimes like treason, sabotage, desertion and mutiny. Methods such as stoning and hanging are also used, but are not as common as military firing squads.

Capital crimes

Seventeen Articles in the national law officially provide for the death penalty for capital crimes. These include:

Article 1

"committing offences adverse or damaging to the independence, unity and security of the Somali State"

Article 2

utilizing weapons against the State when it is at war

Article 3

establishing organizations "whose purpose and work is hostile to the security of the Somali State"

Article 4

conspiring with a foreign power

Article 8

engaging in armed banditry

Article 12

"using religion for the purpose of breaking up the unity of the Somali people or weakening or damaging the authority of the Somali state"

Article 16

engaging in trade with a nation hostile to the Somali Democratic Republic

Article 18

displaying or disseminating information "aimed at damaging the sovereignty of the revolution of the Somali nation"