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April 10, 2025 – Ethiopia –
In March 2025, Ethiopian authorities detained seven journalists from the Ethiopian Broadcasting Service (EBS), accusing them of terrorism. The arrests followed the broadcast of a controversial episode of the program Addis Meiraf, which aired on March 23. The show featured Birtukan Temesgen, a woman who alleged she had been abducted and raped by men in military uniforms in 2020. Days after the broadcast, Temesgen appeared on state television and retracted her statement, prompting EBS to issue a public apology and remove the episode.
The journalists, who included editors, producers, and presenters, were arrested soon afterward. Authorities claimed they had contributed to the dissemination of false and harmful content. However, rights groups like the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have condemned the detentions as an unjustified attack on press freedom. CPJ emphasized that while the broadcast was later proven to be based on false information, the journalists should not be charged with terrorism for a reporting error, especially after the outlet publicly acknowledged the mistake.
This incident is the latest in a pattern of repression against Ethiopia’s independent media. Since the Tigray conflict erupted in 2020, the Ethiopian government has increasingly used anti-terrorism and disinformation laws to silence dissent and media criticism. CPJ reports that over 200 journalists have been arrested and more than 50 have fled the country in the past four years. The crackdown has affected both local and foreign reporters, leading to the shutdown of several media outlets and growing self-censorship.
The arrests have drawn international concern, with media watchdogs and rights organizations calling on Ethiopian authorities to release the detained journalists and safeguard press freedom. They warn that criminalizing journalistic errors under terrorism laws sets a dangerous precedent and undermines the role of the media in a democratic society.
As the legal proceedings continue, the case underscores the deteriorating environment for journalism in Ethiopia, where fear and government pressure increasingly threaten the independence of the press.
Reference –
7 journalist arrests in a month as Ethiopia quashes independence of media regulator
