Somaliland is an unrecognised sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, internationally considered[1][2] to be part of Somalia.
Amnesty International criticizes the persistence of the death penalty and cases of controversial detentions and trials in Somaliland.
[3] In January 2007, the editor and several journalists of the Haatuf newspaper were arrested because they had "defamed" the president's family with their corruption allegations.
Under pressure from Somalilander expats and local media, the government released the journalists after 86 days in custody.
As of 2009, Freedom House names the following human rights problems in Somaliland: corruption, interference and harassment of journalists, banning non-Islamic proselytizing, banning public demonstrations, lack of due process and prolonged detention before trial, weak judiciary and female genital mutilation.