A Somali woman was executed under Islamic law for killing her teenage domestic worker, sparking public outcry and renewed calls for child protection reforms.
A 34-year-old Somali woman, Hodan Mohamud Diiriye, was executed by firing squad in Galkayo after being found guilty of killing teenage domestic worker Saabirin Saylaan. The victim, orphaned as a one-year-old, was reportedly subjected to routine physical abuse during the two months she lived with Diiriye. Authorities said the sentence was carried out under “qisas,” an Islamic law principle allowing the victim’s family to demand execution rather than financial compensation.
Mudug Governor Faysal Sheikh Ali said, “Members of both Saabirin’s family and Diiriye’s family were present when the sentence was carried out.” This marks the first execution of a woman under a retaliatory sentence in Puntland in over a decade. Public anger had grown after videos and audio recordings of the abuse were leaked, prompting protests and calls for stronger child protection laws and accountability for domestic worker abuse.