On 6 January 2024 Journalist Mohamed Abdi Sheikh, also known as Mohamed Ilig and CEO of MM Somali TV, was arrested in Hargeisa, Somaliland. He was forcibly taken while moderating a live debate on X (formerly Twitter) about the controversial MOU signed between Somaliland and Ethiopia on 1 January. Denied legal representation and family contact, he was subjected to torture and brought before a military court that ordered indefinite detention. This unprecedented use of a military court against a journalist marks a dangerous escalation in the repression of media freedom. The case highlights the increasingly hostile environment faced by journalists across Somalia, where intimidation, arbitrary arrests and restrictions on free expression are becoming alarmingly common.