A woman convicted of murdering a 14-year-old girl has been executed in Puntland, a semi-autonomous region of Somalia, in a rare case where the death penalty has been carried out against a woman.
Hodan Mohamud Diiriye, 34, was executed by firing squad on Tuesday in the city of Galkayo after a court found her guilty of beating a teenage girl to death. The victim had been working as a domestic helper in Diiriye’s household.
The killing of Saabirin Saylaan in November triggered public outrage and protests in Galkayo, alongside renewed calls for stronger protections for children.
The case struck a deep nerve in a country where child abuse often goes unreported, particularly when it happens within extended families.
Authorities said the sentence was carried out under qisas, an Islamic legal principle that allows the family of a murder victim to demand execution rather than accept financial compensation. A decree in the Mudug region, where the murder occurred, requires Islamic law to be applied in such cases.
According to Mudug’s governor, Faysal Sheikh Ali, members of both the victim’s family and the convicted woman’s family were present during the execution.
Puntland officials said this was the first time in more than a decade that a woman had been executed under a retaliatory sentence in the region. The last known execution of a woman took place in 2013, when 13 members of the Islamist militant group al-Shabab, including one woman, were executed for their role in the killing of a prominent Islamic scholar.
Saabirin was orphaned when both her parents died before she turned one. She was initially cared for by relatives, but last year her great-aunt agreed that Diiriye’s family, who needed domestic help, could take her in.
Police investigations revealed that during the two months Saabirin lived with the family, she was subjected to routine physical abuse, including beatings and torture.
Evidence recovered from Diiriye’s phone, including videos and audio recordings, documented repeated violence. Some of the material was leaked publicly before the trial, though it remains unclear who released it.
In one particularly disturbing recording, Diiriye is heard saying: “I’m enjoying your pain.”
A post-mortem examination found multiple injuries and deep stab wounds consistent with prolonged abuse.
As details of the investigation emerged, public anger intensified. Hundreds of women and young people marched through Galkayo, carrying placards reading “Justice for Saabirin” and demanding that all those responsible be held accountable.
Following the case, activists, elders and community leaders renewed calls for stronger safeguards for children and domestic workers, who are often vulnerable to abuse.
