Contribute to OPR

OPR's work depends on people outside the organization: writers, witnesses, lawyers, former detainees, families, officials who want the truth told. There are four ways in.

WriteWrite for the OPR JournalInvestigations, testimony, legal and policy analysis on prisons, detention and justice — in Somalia, for Somalis detained abroad, and from elsewhere in Africa and the world. In English, or in Somali for writing on Somalia, published in the language you choose. Pitch first; we edit with you; you keep your rights.

Tell usShare information or a caseA detention, a death in custody, a document, a pattern you have seen. Anonymously if you need to. We verify before we publish.

Work with usVolunteerResearch, translation, monitoring, fundraising, or your own specialist expertise, part-time for up to six months.

ProjectSomalis Detained AbroadDetained, tried, imprisoned or deported outside Somalia — the US, Libya, Kenya, Ethiopia, Europe, the Gulf, the piracy prisons. Tell it from the Somali side.

TestifyTell what happened to youYour time in detention, or that of someone you know who is no longer alive. In Somali or English, written or by WhatsApp. Published only with consent.

JoinBecome a memberFree. Every report, investigation and statement by email as it is published, and invitations to OPR's events.

Talk to the editor. If you'd rather discuss an idea before writing it, or have something that doesn't fit any of these, write directly to Ismail Abukar, Chairperson of OPR, at [email protected]. Say what you have, whether it's safe for us to reply to that address, and whether you need to stay anonymous. He reads everything.

How OPR works with contributors

Safety first. Telling the truth about detention in Somalia can be dangerous — from the federal government or Federal Member State authorities, from armed groups such as al-Shabaab and ISIS, or from anyone else who has a reason to keep a story quiet. We understand that risk, and it shapes how we work with every contributor. Publishing under your own name can carry risk. We publish under pseudonyms, remove identifying detail, and never share a contributor's identity or contact details with anyone. We would rather run a piece anonymously than not run it, and we would rather not run it than put you at risk.

Verification. Everything OPR publishes is sourced. We will ask how you know what you know, and we may check independently. Claims we cannot stand behind are cut or marked as unverified. Anyone criticized in a piece is given a chance to respond before publication.

Independence. OPR does not accept government funding and does not publish on behalf of any party, clan, or institution. Contributions are judged on evidence and public interest.

Women, and people with disabilities. OPR particularly wants writing and testimony from women and from people with disabilities, whose experience of detention in Somalia is almost entirely undocumented. Standing calls are open on the Write page — Women and Detention, Somalis Detained Abroad, and writing from elsewhere in Africa and the world. If reading or typing is a barrier, dictate it by WhatsApp voice note or phone interview and OPR will transcribe and edit it with you.

Original work. OPR does not publish pieces written by artificial intelligence. Submissions are screened with AI-detection tools and read by an editor, and we ask how a piece was produced when it does not read as the author's own. Grammar checking, translating your own writing, and light help with structure are fine, provided you disclose them when you submit.

Corrections. If we get something wrong, we correct it on the page and say so. If you spot an error in anything on this site, tell us.