The Committee to Protect Journalists on Thursday called on Ethiopian authorities to immediately release three journalists detained in late August and early September, and expressed grave concern about a pattern of detaining journalists amid an ongoing state of emergency.

On August 26, 2023, police arrested Tewodros Zerfu, a presenter and program host with the online media outlets Yegna TV and Menelik Television, while he was chatting with a friend at a cafe in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, according to reports from the outlets and accounts from his sister Seblework Zerfu and Yegna TV founder Engidawork Gebeyehu, who spoke to CPJ by messaging app.

Four days later, on August 30, two security officers in civilian clothing arrested Nigussie Berhanu, a political analyst and co-host of “Yegna Forum,” a biweekly political show on Yegna TV, according to Yegna TV reports, Engidawork, and a family member who spoke to CPJ on condition of anonymity, citing safety concerns.

On September 11, seven federal police officers arrested Yehualashet Zerihun, the program director of the privately owned station Tirita 97.6 FM, at his residence in Addis Ababa, according to a report by Tirita and Yehualashet‘s wife Meron Jembere, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app. Meron said she had not been given any specific reason for his arrest to date.

The three journalists were initially detained at the Federal Police Crime Investigation Center in the capital of Addis Ababa, but have since been transferred to a temporary detention center at a military camp in Awash Arba, a town in Afar State that is about 240 miles (145 kilometers) east of Addis Ababa, according to the people who spoke to CPJ. Those sources said they were not aware of the journalists being presented in court or formally charged with a crime.

“The detention of journalists at a military camp, under unclear judicial oversight, is a deeply worrying sign of the depths to which Ethiopia’s regard for the media has sunk,” said CPJ sub-Saharan Africa representative, Muthoki Mumo. “Authorities should release journalists Tewodros Zerfu, Yehualashet Zerihun, and Nigussie Berhanu, as well as other members of the press detained for their work.”

Ethiopia declared a six-month state of emergency on August 4, 2023, in response to the conflict in northern Amhara state involving federal government forces and the Fano, an armed militia, according to media reports. Since then, CPJ has documented the detention of at least four other journalists in Addis Ababa, two of whom remain detained, also in Awash Arba.

The state of emergency legislation gives security personnel sweeping powers of arrest and permits the suspension of due process of law, including the right to appear before a court and receive legal counsel.

In addition to his role as a program director, Yehualashet was a host and co-host of three weekly radio shows, “Negere Kin,” “Semonegna,” and “Feta Bekidame,” focusing on art and social issues.

According to CPJ’s review of their work, Tewodros and Nigussie usually appeared together on Yegna TV’s regular program, “Yegna’s Forum,” and their commentary and reporting is published on Yegna TV’s YouTube channel, which has over 600,000 subscribers. “Yegna Forum” is a mostly political program, which has been critical of the Ethiopian government. Prior to their detention, they had discussed the ongoing Amhara conflict, criticizing the passing of the state of emergency decree, and questioning the neutrality of the Ethiopian National Defense Force.

A few days before his detention, Nigussie made a Facebook post in which he alleged that he was “perceived as a threat” to the government, and had been “identified as a target.”

CPJ’s queries sent via email to federal police spokesperson Jeylan Abdi and the office of the federal minister of justice were unanswered. Government spokesperson Legesse Tulu did not respond to queries sent via messaging app and text message.

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The Committee to Protect Journalists on Wednesday expressed deep concern about the arrest of three journalists only weeks after Ethiopia declared a state of emergency, and it called on authorities to promptly release all members of the press detained for their work.Abay Zewdu, chief editor of the YouTube-based broadcaster Amhara Media Center (AMC), was arrested in the capital, Addis Ababa, on August 10 and transferred to Awash Arba military facility on August 21, according to a report by the online outlet Roha Media, a statement by the statutory watchdog Ethiopia Human Rights Commission (ERHC), and his sister Zoma Zewdu.

Federal police officers did not tell Abay why they were arresting him, he did not go to court, and at the time of publication he remained in the Afar state military camp’s temporary detention center in Awash Arba town, some 240 kilometers (145 miles) east of Addis Ababa, according to Zoma and AMC board member Aregahagn Negatu, both of whom spoke to CPJ.

Yidnekachew Kebede, founder and editor of YouTube-based outlet Negari TV, was arrested on August 17 and appeared in court in Addis Ababa’s Ketema Sub-City on August 21, where the police accused him of aiding “anti-peace elements” and producing video content “with the intent of provoking violence,” his lawyer Henok Aklilu told CPJ. On September 1, Yidnekachew returned to court and was released on bail of 6,000 birr (US$108) without charge, Henok said.

Fekadu Mahtemework, editor-in-chief of the weekly Ghion magazine, was detained by police in Addis Ababa on August 25 under the state of emergency decree and told that he would not be taken to court, according to media reports and his wife, Hiwot Hailegebriel. Hiwot told CPJ that Fekadu was released without charge on Monday, September 4.

Ethiopia declared a six-month state of emergency on August 4 in response to conflict in northern Amhara state between government forces and the Fano, an armed militia. The state of emergency law, reviewed by CPJ, grants security personnel wide powers of arrest and provides for the suspension of the due process of law, including the right to appear before a court and receive legal counsel.

All three journalists published reporting or commentary on the conflict in Amhara and the state of emergency, according to CPJ’s review.

“Once again, Ethiopian authorities are targeting journalists precisely when the public needs access to diverse reporting and commentary on an ongoing conflict,” said CPJ Sub-Saharan Africa Representative Muthoki Mumo. “Ethiopian authorities should release all journalists detained for their work and guarantee that the state of emergency in Amhara will not be used to stifle the media.”

Prior to Abay’s detention, AMC had extensively covered the Amhara crisis, including a report in which he described it as a freedom struggle, variousinterviews with civilians in Amhara state about the impact of the fighting, and interviews with Fano militiamen.

Yidnekachew had published posts on Facebook criticizing the emergency declaration and decrying detention of political activists and civilians. The most recent video published by Yidnekachew’s outlet, Negari TV, included an interview with Abay in which they discussed the persecution of ethnic Amharas and the government’s failure to protect civilians.

Fekadu’s magazine Ghion published news stories on YouTube and in its weekly print edition about the state of emergency decree and mass arrests in Addis Ababa and surrounding areas.

Over the last four years, Ethiopian journalists have frequently been arrested, particularly during periods of political tension or conflict. Abay was previously detained in September 2022 and in April 2023 and released on bail. Fekadu was jailed for about five months before being granted amnesty in 2020.

Federal police spokesperson Jeylan Abdi did not immediately respond to CPJ’s requests for comment via email and messaging app.

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Authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo should investigate and hold to account police officers who assaulted journalists Louis France Kuzikesa and Will Claes N’lemvo in an Ethiopian airport, and stop law enforcement officials from intimidating the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday.

On July 30, a dozen men dressed in civilian clothes repeatedly punched and yanked the clothing of Kuzikesa, a presenter and general manager of privately owned CML13TV, and N’lemvo, a reporter with the privately owned news site Actualité.cd, in the Ethiopian capital’s Bole International Airport, according to N’lemvo, who spoke to CPJ, and a statement by a Congolese media rights group.

N’lemvo told CPJ that the men identified themselves as members of a Congolese police unit responsible for the protection of senior state officials while punching Kuzikesa, and said that the CML13TV journalist was too critical of President Felix Tshisekedi.

“The DRC police officers responsible for attacking journalists Louis France Kuzikesa and Will Claes N’lemvo in Addis Ababa’s airport should be identified and held accountable,” said Angela Quintal, CPJ’s Africa program coordinator, in Durban, South Africa. “This unprovoked assault demonstrates just how far Congolese authorities will go to intimidate those deemed critical of the government, both within and beyond DRC’s borders.”

Kuzikesa – who presents a political talk show called “Libre Opinion” (Free Debate) – declined to speak with CPJ, citing safety fears.

Kuzikesa said on Facebook that he was in transit to the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, when the men, who identified themselves as security officers for Tshisekedi, attacked him and snatched his two phones and hand luggage.

N’lemvo told CPJ that he started filming the incident on his phone but the men grabbed the device and started punching him as well. Kuzikesa posted N’lemvo’s video on X, formerly Twitter, showing a group of men shouting at the CML13TV journalist in the airport.

N’lemvo said Ethiopian police intervened to stop the violence and returned his phone, but the assailants continued to shout that they would find the journalists in Kinshasa.

N’lemvo said the reporters delayed their flight home by a day because they feared for their safety, adding that he received treatment in a Kinshasa hospital for pain in his mouth and chest from the beating, while Kuzikesa was unharmed.

On May 22, DRC’s media regulator, Conseil Supérieur de l’Audiovisuel et de la Communication (CSAC), banned Kuzikesa from working as a journalist for 72 days and ordered a 45-day suspension of CML13TV’s broadcast signal. CSAC said in a statement, reviewed by CPJ and reported on by local media, that Kuzikesa interviewed two politicians who made tribal remarks that threatened national cohesion.

CPJ’s calls to Kinshasa police chief Blaise Kilimbalimba rang unanswered.

CPJ has repeatedly documented how journalists in the DRC have been arrested, accused of alleged crimes – including defamation and sharing false information – and criminally prosecuted in connection with their work.

CPJ has called for politicians in the DRC and their supporters to respect journalists’ rights to report freely and safely in the lead-up to national elections on December 20, as previous polls have been marred by press freedom violations. At least seven journalists reporting on political candidates were assaulted in three separate incidents in late July.

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Ethiopian authorities must immediately release journalist Bekalu Alamrew, founder and chief editor of Alpha Media, a YouTube-based news channel, and ensure the protection of press freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

On Sunday, August 6, at approximately 2 p.m., three uniformed police officers and two other people in civilian clothes arrested Bekalu at his home in the capital city of Addis Ababa, according to a report by independent news website Ethiopia Insider, an Alpha Media report and a person familiar with his case who spoke to CPJ by phone and asked not to be named due to safety concerns.

The following morning police searched Bekalu’s house and confiscated his laptop, CDs and USB flash drives.

“During times of conflict and emergencies, the Ethiopian government’s apparent default position is to silence critical journalism by targeting independent voices based on vague allegations,” said Angela Quintal, CPJ’s Africa program coordinator. “Bekalu Alamrew and all fellow journalists currently detained for their reporting and commentary must be unconditionally released and allowed to work freely without legal harassment and censorship.”

The person familiar with the case said Bekalu had not appeared in court within 48 hours of his detention, nor been informed of the reason he was being held – a legal requirement under Article 19 of Ethiopia’s constitution – and was being held at the Federal Police Crime Investigation Main Department.

Prior to his arrest Bekalu extensively covered the ongoing violent confrontation in Amhara state between government forces and Fano, an armed militia operating within the state. This conflict resulted in the declaration of a six-month-long state of emergency and an ongoing internet shutdown in the region.

According to CPJ’s review, the state of emergency proclamation grants expanded powers to the State of Emergency Command Post, enabling it to order the closure, termination, revocation of licenses, or restriction of activities of any media organization or entity suspected of acting against the objectives outlined in the decree.

Bekalu has been arrested several times previously and released without charges. He was arrested in November 2020 on charges of disseminating false information, again in June 2021 when he was held for more than six weeks without access to family or legal representation, and once more in June 2022 on accusations of incitement to violence through media appearances, as documented by CPJ and news reports.

In Ethiopia, several journalists who were detained in April continue to remain in custody after authorities pressed terrorism charges.

Federal police spokesman Jeylan Abdi did not reply to CPJ’s requests for comment sent via email and messaging app.

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Ethiopian authorities should cease arbitrarily detaining journalists during times of political tension and investigate allegations that security officers attacked members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday.

Between April 3 and April 13, security personnel in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, arrested at least six journalists and allegedly assaulted two while in custody, according to multiple news reports and statements from local rights groups. Two other journalists were arrested in separate incidents in the Amhara and Oromia states.

Six of the journalists – Amhara Media Center chief editor Abay Zewdu; Arat Kilo Media editor Dawit Begashaw; Ethio Selam editor Tewodros Asfaw; Yegna Media reporter Genet Asmamaw; Negere Wolkait Media editor Assefa Adane; and Ethio Nikat Media founder and editor Meskerem Abera – remain behind bars as of Friday, April 14, facing allegations which include inciting violence. All six publish reporting and commentary for privately owned YouTube-based outlets.

Abay, Genet, Assefa, and Meskerem mainly report and commentate on political and social issues affecting the Amhara ethnic group, the second-largest in Ethiopia. Their arrests come amid political unrest in Amhara state, as protesters oppose government plans to dissolve regional forces.

“The latest spate of arrests in Ethiopia, in which at least eight journalists have been arrested since April 3, paints a deeply depressing picture of the state of press freedom in the country,” said Muthoki Mumo, CPJ’s sub-Saharan Africa representative. “Authorities should release all detained journalists, investigate allegations that some members of the press have been mistreated or assaulted while in state custody, and ensure that journalists do not operate in an environment of fear.”

The first arrest came on April 3, when two men who identified themselves as National Intelligence and Security Service members approached Yeayeneabeba Gizaw, managing editor of the privately owned magazine Yehabesha Wog, while she was running errands in Addis Ababa and forced her into a waiting vehicle, according to the journalist’s phone interviews with CPJ and privately owned satellite broadcaster Ethiopia Media Service (EMS) and a statement by independent watchdog Ethiopia Human Rights Council.

The men drove Yeayeneabeba to an unmarked detention facility in Lebu, an outskirt neighborhood of Addis Ababa, where she was held in a room with nine other women. On April 4, a man and woman questioned her about her work in Oromia state, slapped her face, kicked one of her legs, and accused her of using Yehabesha Wog to defame Oromia state officials and the Addis Ababa mayor.

She was released unconditionally on April 5. Yeayeneabeba did not suffer significant injury, she said, adding that her abduction was particularly unexpected because the magazine suspended printing in September 2022 due to the prohibitive cost. They plan to resume on a bi-monthly basis when they can, she said.

On April 4, Oromia state police arrested Samuel Assefa, an EMS reporter, while he covered demolitions in the town of Legetafo-Legedadi, on the outskirts of the capital, according to EMS editor Wosenseged Gebrekidan, who spoke to CPJ by messaging app, and an Ethiopia Human Rights Council statement.

Samuel appeared at the Legetafo-Legedadi town First Instance Court on April 5 and was accused of incitement and attempting to report without authorities’ permission, according to Wosenseged. The court granted the police an additional five days to hold Samuel, and on April 11, the court closed the case. Samuel was released on April 13 after paying bail of 10,000 Ethiopian birr (US$185).

In separate incidents on April 6, federal police officers arrested Abay and Assefa, who is also a professor at Kotebe Metropolitan University, according to a report by Abay’s outlet and Abay’s sister, Zoma Zewdu, who communicated with CPJ via messaging app.

Later that day, Abay and Assefa appeared at the Arada branch of the Federal First Instance Court in Addis Ababa alongside seven other people, and were accused of using social media platforms to organize youth violence, according to Zoma and court documents reviewed by CPJ. They were remanded to police custody for 10 more days, pending police investigations.

Around 5 p.m. on April 6, five federal police officers arrested Genet, according to her lawyer, Henok Aklilu, and her brother, Andualem Demissie, who spoke to CPJ by phone. In an audio published by several media outlets and authenticated by Henok, an officer says, “Beat her; kick her,” and Genet says, “Do not beat me. Why are you hitting me? Why are you kidnapping me without a court order?”

In an appearance at the Federal First Instance Court on April 7, Genet was accused of inciting violence on social media and other platforms and mobilizing young people to overthrow the government, according to Henok. The court granted police 10 days to hold her in custody pending further investigation. Genet complained to the court about abusive treatment by police, and the court ordered the federal police to investigate, according to Henok.

Around 6 p.m. on April 9, 10 federal police officers arrested Meskerem, according to Henok, who represents her, and the journalist’s husband, Fitsum Gebremichael, who spoke to CPJ by phone.

The Federal First Instance Court extended her detention by 13 days on April 11, giving police time to investigate allegations that she incited violence and riots through social media platforms and provided shooting training to unspecified informal groups, according to CPJ’s review of court documents.

Meskerem was previously detained in May 2022 for 23 days and in December 2022 for three weeks. Ethio Nikat announced a hiatus after her December detention, and Meskerem had announced their return to air a week before her arrest.

On the evening of Wednesday, April 12, Ethiopian National Defense Force soldiers arrested Dawit, while he was with friends at a hotel in Bahir Dar, the capital of Amhara state. Dawit was transported to the Federal Police detention center in Addis Ababa.

In videos published by Arat Kilo before Dawit’s detention, the journalist vehemently criticized Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and spoke out against the disbandment of the Amhara special force.

On the morning of April 13, two federal police officers and two plain-clothes security officers arrested Tewodros at his home on unspecified allegations, according to news reports, and his wife, Enat Tamirat, who spoke to CPJ by phone. Enat said officers searched their home, confiscated his passport and cell phone, and took Tewodros to the federal police detention center.

In February, Tewodros was detained for eight days and released on bail.

CPJ’s text and email to federal police spokesperson Jeylan Abdi and CPJ’s email, Facebook messages, and queries sent through the website of the Addis Ababa mayor’s office did not receive a response.

Emails to the Federal Ministry of Justice, National Intelligence and Security Service, Oromia Communication Bureau, and Amhara Communication Bureau were unanswered or returned error messages.

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Ethiopian authorities should immediately release journalist Beyene Wolde and ensure that members of the press are not imprisoned for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday.

On the afternoon of March 2, police arrested Beyene from his office in the capital city of Addis Ababa, according to news reports and two people familiar with the case who spoke to CPJ.

Police did not give any reason for his arrest at the time, and in two subsequent court appearances authorities accused Beyene, founder and editor of the Gurage Media Network news website, of terrorism and incitement, according to his lawyer, Andamlak Shinber, who spoke to CPJ by phone. He has not been formally charged with a crime, and police have been granted permission to keep him in custody until March 28.

“Ethiopian authorities have an entrenched habit of incarcerating journalists on vague allegations, which has steadily eroded the space for critical reporting and commentary in the country,” said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Angela Quintal, in New York. “Beyene Wolde and all other journalists detained for their work should be released immediately and unconditionally.”

When Beyene appeared at the Lideta High Court in Addis Ababa on March 3, authorities accused him and six others of attempting to use violence to overthrow the country’s constitutional order, engaging in activities related to terrorism, organizing the youth, and using social media platforms to “cause mayhem and death,” according to Andamlak.

Andamlak said police were granted 10 days to hold him in custody pending investigation.

When Beyene’s relatives visited him at the Federal Police Crime Investigation Main Department in Addis Ababa on March 6, police said the journalist had been transferred to an unspecified location, the journalist’s brother, Nigatu Wolde, told CPJ by phone.

In a letter dated March 10 addressed to the Lideta High Court, which CPJ reviewed, police said that Beyene and his co-defendants had been released from custody and the allegations against them had been dropped.

However, on March 14, Beyene was brought before the High Court in Gurage Zone, an area in Ethiopia’s Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ region, where he was accused of the same offenses and police were granted an additional 14 days to hold him in custody, Andamlak told CPJ. As of March 22, he is being held at Butajira police station in Gurage Zone, according to Andamlak and Nigatu.

In mid-February, protesters in the Gurage Zone capital of Wolkite took to the streets to protest the lack of clean water, according to multiple media reports, which said security forces killed and injured several protesters.

Nigatu posted on Facebook that Beyene traveled to Wolkite weeks before his arrest to report on the protests. Commentary and reporting by Beyene published on GMN’s website and YouTube channel, which has over 5,000 subscribers, include a report advocating for the right to protest in the Gurage Zone, coverage of the killing of protesters, and interviews with the families of the victims of violence.

When CPJ contacted federal police spokesperson Jeylan Abdi for comment, he said he would “verify the case” but then failed to respond to follow-up messages. CPJ emailed the Gurage Zone government’s communications office but did not receive any response.

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Ethiopian authorities should unconditionally release two staffers from the internet broadcaster Ethio Selam and drop criminal proceedings into a third, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.Police and security agents in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa arrested Ethio Selam founder Tewodros Asfaw from his home on February 14, his brother Biniam Asfaw told CPJ via phone. Amanuel Asfaw, a third brother and Ethio Selam camera operator, and Meseret Tamiru, an administrative employee, were detained at the broadcaster’s rented studio on February 18; computers and other equipment was also confiscated, Biniam said. Tewodros was released on bail on Wednesday, February 22, but Amanuel and Meseret remain in custody.Police accused the three men of inciting violence and sowing distrust of the government during a dispute within the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, according to court documents reviewed by CPJ, but did not file formal charges. Tewodros had covered the controversy extensively on Ethio Selam, which broadcasts to over 34,000 subscribers on YouTube.

“The detention of Ethio Selam staff without charge is unfortunately part of a pattern of Ethiopian police abusing the judicial system to retaliate against critical journalists,” said CPJ Sub-Saharan Africa Representative Muthoki Mumo. “The press should be able to cover religious affairs of critical public interest without fear of imprisonment. Authorities should unconditionally release Amanuel Asfaw and Meseret Tamiru without delay and drop pending criminal proceedings against Tewodros Asfaw.”

The High Court in Addis Ababa granted Tewodros bail of 30,000 birr (US$557) on February 16, but he remained in detention while police appealed. On February 22, a higher court upheld the bail order and Tewodros was released that evening. Amanuel and Meseret will be held until February 28 pending investigation, Biniam said.

After clerics in the Oromia region briefly splintered from the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in January, church leaders accused Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of interference. Amid protests from church supporters, the government interrupted access to some social media services. Tewodros criticized the government and the prime minister in videos for Ethio Selam, and said the demonstrations would determine the future of the church.

CPJ emailed the federal ministry of justice requesting comment but did not receive a response. Via messaging application, federal police spokesperson Jeylan Abdi declined to respond to CPJ’s queries, saying he could not comment on matters in court.

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Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns Ethiopia’s decision to suspend Somali-language TV broadcasts by 15 international TV broadcasters in its southeastern Somali Region, and the arrest of one of the TV channels’ journalists for two days. The suspensions violate the freedom to report news and information, and must be lifted, RSF says.

The 15 foreign TV broadcasters, including BBC Somali, have not been broadcasting in Ethiopia’s southeastern Somali region, the country’s second largest, since 28 January. The Somali Region Communications Bureau imposed the suspensions after receiving a letter from the Ethiopian Media Authority asking it to take measures against journalists working for foreign media without a licence.

The day after the suspensions were imposed, the regional police arrested Muhiyadin Mohammed Ali, a journalist with one of the suspended TV channels, Kalsan TV, who was coordinating the publication of a press release condemning the measure. Charged with “spreading false propaganda” on social media for criticising the regional ruling party in a Facebook Live broadcast, he was held for two days in a Fafan zone police station and then freed on condition that he published no articles critical of the government for three months.

These attacks on press freedom pose a grave danger to the media environment in the region and the country as a whole. The region’s authorities must urgently lift the suspension of these 15 foreign media, which is clearly an attempt to prevent the press from covering sensitive subjects. Muhiyadin Mohammed Ali, whose arrest showed authority being misused to suppress the right to free speech, has sadly joined the long list of journalists to have been detained in Ethiopia. We call on the authorities to protect press freedom by reversing these decisions.

Sadibou Marong, Director of RSF’s Africa bureau

Before the suspensions were announced, the media outlets concerned had asked the regional government to renew their licences, under which they operated legally in the region. But their requests went unanswered.

The suspensions are said to be linked to their coverage of the region’s current problems, including drought and corruption. Although the Ethiopian Media Authority had asked the Somali Region Communications Bureau to take measures against journalists working without a licence, it claimed that it was not told in advance about the suspensions.

“Freedom of expression” likened to “freedom of chaos”

Without any warning, the authorities also rescinded the licence of the Somali Region Journalists’ Association on 3 February for allegedly “inappropriate action.” The association’s spokesman, Abdulrazaq Hassan, told RSF he thought the decision was a reprisal for what it had said about the suspensions. He also reported an intimidation attempt.

“On 8 February, uniformed men went to the office and asked the watchman why he was still working,” he said. “I am still a target and I fear being jailed at any moment. In fact, all of the journalists are now afraid because of the suspensions.”

That same day, the Somali region’s president, Mustafa Omer, posted an unprecedented message on Facebook in which he said, “freedom of expression in the region” could be compared to “freedom of chaos.”

Press freedom in Ethiopia has been obstructed by the war between government forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). In May 2022, federal forces arrested a total of 21 media professionals in the space of ten days in what was described as a “law enforcement operation.”

The latest arrests of journalists in Ethiopia took place a week ago. Deacon Yosef Ketema, a journalist with the Oromo-language Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Television (EOTC TV), was arrested on 13 February and is being held in an unknown location. Tewodros Asfaw, the founder of Ethio Selam, a leading Ethiopian YouTube channel offering independent political analysis and criticism of the war in Tigray, was arrested on 14 February by two armed police officers and four plainclothesmen, and was taken to the federal police crime investigation office in Addis Ababa’s Mexico Square. They are accused of “terrorism” and “inciting violence” for covering a split in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

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Local rights groups say suspensions are response to critical coverage

The IPI global network calls on authorities in Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State, as well as the Ethiopian Media Mass Authority (EMMA), to lift the suspension imposed on 15 foreign media outlets and their reporters from doing their media work and allow independent reporting.

IPI also calls on authorities to reinstate the license of the Somali Regional State of Journalists Association, which was revoked on February 3, 2023. The revocation appears to be an act of retaliation following comments and interviews given by Abdulrazaq Hassan, the association’s chairman, following the media suspensions. Hassan, told IPI that the authorities justified the revocation of the association’s license based on “inappropriate action” taken by the press defense group.

Attempt to censor critical reporting in Somali Regional State

According to reports, on January 27, 2023, the Ethiopian Media Mass Authority, the federal media regulatory body, called on the Somali Region Communications Bureau to take action against journalists with foreign media working without a license.

Consequently, the regional communications bureau ordered 15 foreign media outlets to suspend their operations: BBC Somali, MM TV, Universal TV, Horyaal TV, RTN TV, Universal TV, Five TV, Sahan TV, Horn Cable TV, and Goobjoog TV. The bureau and the Media Council claimed that the journalists did not have the accreditation to operate in the region.

Local media rights groups, however, have said that the accreditation issue was being used as a pretext and that the suspension was another layer of authorities’ attempt to silence foreign media outlets that cover sensitive issues such as corruption, conflict, and drought-related issues. Abdulrazaq Hassan, chairman of the Somali Regional State of Journalists Association, also said that media outlets had been attempting to get their licenses renewed.

“Authorities in the Somali Regional State must lift the suspension imposed on the 15 journalists,” said IPI Director of Advocacy Amy Brouillette. “Local and national authorities in Ethiopia must uphold their obligations to protect the free flow of information and the public’s right to independent sources of news.”

“We also call on authorities to stop harassment of the Somali Regional State of Journalists Association and allow the association to do its work. It is highly alarming that the association appears to have been targeted in retaliation for speaking out in support of press freedom.”

Continued arrests and detentions in Ethiopia

The suspensions imposed on 15 foreign media are another sign of the worsening of media freedom and the free flow of information in Ethiopia, which also includes the continued network shutdown in the country’s Tigray region.

Over the past year, the federal authorities have arrested, detained and prosecuted several journalists. IPI documented the arrests of at least 19 journalists and media workers by federal security forces in May during what the authorities termed as an “anti-crime operation”.

While many of those journalists were released a few days after their arrest and detention, in September 2022 at least ten journalists were believed to still be detained in Ethiopia by both the federal and Tigray authorities.

However, in January, three out of five journalists detained by the Tigray authorities were released. Teshome Temalew, Misgena Seyoum, and Haben Halefom were released from prison by a court in Mekelle, the regional capital of Tigray. Two others, Hailemichael Gesesse and Dawit Meknonnen, are still in detention. The five journalists were arrested in May 2022, and accused of “collaborating and disseminating enemy propaganda.” The next court hearing of Hailemichael Gessesse and Dawit Meknonnen is scheduled for February 18, 2023.

In December, federal authorities arrested Meskerem Abera, founder and owner of Ethio Niqat, a YouTube-based media. This was the second time she was arrested in 2022. IPI learned from a source in Ethiopia, that she was released early in January 2023.

Temesgen Desalgn, managing editor of the weekly Feteh Amharic magazine, was granted bail on October 21, 2022, in the amount of 30,000 ETB (about 514 euro). He was part of the group of journalists arrested in the sweeping “anti-crime operation” conducted by the Federal security forces in May 2022. He was accused of publishing confidential military secrets and incitement.

IPI also calls on both Federal and Tigray authorities to release journalists still held in detention, and end the internet shutdown in the Tigray region.

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Ethiopian police should unconditionally release online journalist Meskerem Abera and cease harassing members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.

Federal police detained Meskerem, the founder and editor of private YouTube-based media outlet Ethio Nikat Media, in the capital Addis Ababa on December 13, her husband, Fitsum Gebremichael, told CPJ by phone.

On December 15, a federal high court extended her detention by 14 days for police to investigate allegations that she incited violence, disseminated misinformation, and defamed the military through Ethio Nikat Media and social media platforms. She is due back in court on December 29, Fitsum said.

Meskerem was held for weeks following her arrest in May in relation to a similar accusation, but was never formally charged.

“Meskerem has already lost weeks languishing in state custody. It is highly disappointing that she has been arrested again in connection with her work,” said Muthoki Mumo, CPJ’s sub-Saharan Africa representative. “Ethiopian authorities should release Meskerem without delay and discontinue any criminal proceedings against her. She should be allowed to continue her work without further interference.”

Police accuse Meskerem of disseminating information that led to violence in the southern Gurage Zone, and attempting to justify recent protests in Addis Ababa, the court document reviewed by CPJ said. They also accuse her of encouraging the creation of vigilante groups; calling on members of the public to go on strike and block roads; and defaming the Ethiopian national defense forces. The document did not cite specific videos or posts.

Meskerem had recently covered protests that called for the Gurage Zone to become an autonomous state and argued that the right to demand a referendum on the issue is constitutionally protected. She also denounced the detention of protesters in Addis Ababa.

CPJ did not receive immediate responses to queries sent to the Federal Justice Ministry via email, and to Federal Police spokesperson Jeylan Abdi via email, messaging app, and text message.

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