About OPR
The Organization for Prisoners' Rights is an independent civil society organization based in Mogadishu, founded in 2019, that investigates and documents what happens to people held in Somalia's prisons and detention facilities, and works to change it.
Who we are
A society that fails to respect human dignity and human rights cannot endure. Guided by that principle, OPR is committed to advancing justice and protecting the rights of all Somali citizens, both those behind bars and those working within the prison system.
We are dedicated to exposing injustice and defending the fundamental rights of individuals held in prisons and detention facilities across Somalia. We conduct independent investigations and systematically document human rights violations, bringing to light abuses that often remain hidden behind prison walls. Our work is driven by a multidisciplinary team of more than fifty professionals, including legal experts, advocates, journalists, and country specialists.
At the heart of our mission is the protection of those most vulnerable to abuse: prisoners, detainees, marginalized communities, and children in custody who face mistreatment, unlawful detention, and systemic neglect. Through evidence-based advocacy, we work to safeguard their rights and ensure their voices are not silenced.
Our mission
We promote and protect the rights of prisoners and detainees through education, advocacy, and accountability. We deliver awareness of international human rights standards — the Nelson Mandela Rules, the Bangkok Rules, the Convention against Torture — while actively safeguarding the rights of every individual in detention, including women and children. Dignity is not a privilege but a guarantee, for every person, in every cell.
What we do
Across Somalia, prisons and detention centres face deep structural challenges, from overcrowding and poor sanitation to limited access to justice and basic services. OPR responds with a multi-sector approach that places human dignity at the centre of reform. Our work is not confined to a single region or issue.
Monitoring and documentation. Since 2021 OPR has conducted visits to places of detention across Somalia — prisons, police stations, National Intelligence and Security Agency detention centres, and the Criminal Investigation Directorate headquarters — interviewing detainees, former detainees, families, officers, and medical staff. The findings are published in our annual assessment reports and investigations, and kept online.
Prison conditions and rights advocacy. We advocate for humane conditions in detention, challenging abuse, neglect, and systemic violations, and we press government, Federal Member States, and decision-makers to act on what we document.
Legal support and access to justice. We provide free legal aid to detainees, so that those held in custody have access to representation and due process.
Health and sanitation reform. We push for policies and programmes that establish functioning healthcare within prisons, addressing critical gaps in medical care and hygiene.
Education and rehabilitation. We develop and support educational programmes inside prisons, and training for prison staff. Since 2022, hundreds of Custodial Corps staff have been trained in the Bangkok Rules, the Nelson Mandela Rules, incident management, rehabilitation, and basic medical care.
Reintegration and social inclusion. We advocate for the full reintegration of former prisoners into society, working to break cycles of stigma, exclusion, and marginalization.
Community engagement. We work at the grassroots level to engage communities, raise awareness, and build a culture that values human rights, peace, justice, and tolerance.
Stakeholder engagement and system reform. We strengthen collaboration between government institutions, civil society, and international partners to drive reform of Somalia's prison and penal systems, including the modernization of the 1962 Penal Code and the 1971 Prison Law.
How a detention moves through the system
In broad terms, this is the path a person in Somalia's justice system passes through — from the moment of arrest to prison. OPR documents what happens, and what goes wrong, at every stage.
Minority prisoners
Minorities are held in Somalia's prisons in numbers far above their share of the population, and are the least able to reach a lawyer, a court, or a clan network that can negotiate on their behalf. Recognizing this, OPR created a dedicated department for minority prisoners' rights. It investigates cases, provides legal advocacy and direct support, and documents violations for accountability. Fair treatment for every prisoner, regardless of clan, is the principle the organization was built on.
How we work
Independence is central to our credibility. OPR does not accept financial support from the government, and all external contributions are carefully reviewed to ensure alignment with our mission, principles, and values.
Our reports are sourced, dated, and kept online. Figures we cannot verify are reported as given to us and marked as such. Where we find errors in our own published work, we correct them and say so. We collaborate with a wide network of local and international partners to protect persecuted activists, strengthen human rights monitoring, and pursue accountability, so that perpetrators are held responsible and victims receive justice.
Leadership
OPR was founded in 2019. Read about the founders.
Ismail Abukar, Chairperson and co-founder. A researcher and investigator with long experience in prisoners' rights advocacy, he leads OPR's documentation work and authors its reports.
Abukar Hassan Ahmed, co-founder and board member. Formerly Human Rights Adviser to the President of the Federal Government of Somalia.
Ahmed Mohamud Hussein, board member and researcher.
Abdirashid Hassan Abdi, Director of Graphic Design.
For reporting on politics, conflict, security and governance beyond prisons and detention, see The Field, an independent news site founded by OPR's chairperson, Ismail Abukar. OPR and The Field are separate organisations.
Partners and collaborators
OPR's data collection is carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs of the Federal Government of Somalia, the Somali Custodial Corps, and the Somali Rights Organization. We work with Somalia Non-State Actors (SONSA), the Somali Youth Development Network (SOYDEN), the Women and Child Support Organization (WOCSO), and the Human Rights Committee of the Federal Parliament, and our justice and corrections programmes align with the UN Global Focal Point Arrangement on Rule of Law and the Comprehensive Approach to Security, alongside UNDP, UNOPS, and UNODC.
Contact
General enquiries and Journal submissions: [email protected]
Volunteering and partnerships: see how to contribute.