Legal Intimidation Targeting Somali Journalist Following Jersey Visit

September 05, 2025 – Somalia –

Somali journalist and press freedom defender Abdalle Mumin, who recently visited Jersey for a period of respite, is now facing legal intimidation in the United Kingdom. Mumin, secretary-general of the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), has long been a target of harassment in Somalia for his reporting and activism. His visit to Jersey earlier this year, arranged by the Prisoners of Conscience Holiday Fund, provided him with temporary relief. During the trip, local supporters launched a fundraiser that raised over £6,000 to help bring his family to safety in the UK.

The situation shifted when Mumin criticized Premier Bank on social media. The Somali authorities had previously frozen the SJS accounts at the bank, which he condemned as part of a broader campaign to suppress independent journalism. Following his remarks, Mumin reported receiving abusive phone calls and online threats. The most alarming development was a formal legal letter he received from Taylor Hampton Solicitors LLP, acting on behalf of Premier Bank, threatening defamation proceedings in England.

The UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition, a network monitoring Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), strongly condemned the action. They noted that the letter bore the hallmarks of a SLAPP—legal intimidation designed to silence and exhaust critics rather than genuinely pursue justice. They highlighted the profound imbalance between a refugee journalist with limited resources and a major financial institution connected to Somali state actors. For Mumin, who has already survived arbitrary detentions and travel bans in Somalia, this represented yet another attempt to curtail his voice.

Despite the criticism, Taylor Hampton Solicitors defended their stance, arguing the letter was a “legitimate and proportionate” response to what they described as “highly defamatory” and damaging claims made by Mumin. Press freedom advocates, however, view this as part of a growing trend where corporations employ legal pressure to stifle scrutiny.

The case has now drawn international concern, with organizations warning that the UK’s legal system risks becoming a tool for transnational repression. For Mumin, who came to Jersey seeking peace, the confrontation underscores the continued risks journalists face even outside their home countries. His ordeal highlights the urgent need for stronger anti-SLAPP protections in Britain.

Reference – 

https://fom.coe.int/en/alerte/detail/107642825

Somali journalist who recently visited Jersey facing ‘legal intimidation’ in UK