Somalian Woman Executed by F!ring Squad for M-rder of 14-Year-Old Girl

In a rare case, a woman named Saabirin Saylaan has been executed by f!ring squad in Puntland, Somalia, after being convicted of m*rdering a 14-year-old girl in her care.

Hodan was sentenced and the execution carried out on February 2, 2026, marking the first time in the region that a woman has received the d£ath penalty under this type of sentence. This is also reportedly the first execution of a woman in Puntland in more than a decade.

The victim, Hodan Mohamud Diiriye, was a 14-year-old orphan whose parents had both died when she was just one year old. After being cared for by relatives, she was placed with Diiriye’s family last year to help with household work. In the two months she lived there, police say Saabirin suffered repeated physical abuse, beatings, and torture.

Evidence from Diiriye’s phone—including videos and audio recordings—showed the ongoing violence. Some of these disturbing clips were leaked publicly before the trial. In one chilling recording, Diiriye is heard saying: “I’m enjoying your pain.”

A post-mortem examination confirmed multiple injuries and deep stab wounds on Saabirin’s body, pointing to prolonged and severe abuse. The killing took place in November last year.

The case sparked massive public outrage. Hundreds of women and young people marched through the streets of Galkayo—one of Puntland’s biggest cities—carrying signs that read “Justice for Saabirin” and demanding stronger child protection and accountability for abusers, especially in domestic settings.

The sentence was carried out under “qisas,” an Islamic legal principle that allows the victim’s family to demand execution instead of accepting financial compensation (diya). A local decree in the Mudug region enforces Sharia law in such murder cases.

Mudug Governor Faysal Sheikh Ali confirmed that members of both Saabirin’s family and Diiriye’s family were present when the execution took place.

Puntland authorities noted this was the first retaliatory execution of a woman there in over 10 years. The last known execution of a woman was in 2013, when 13 al-Shabab militants—including one woman—were executed by firing squad for k!lling a prominent Islamic scholar.