Ethiopia / Africa

Nairobi, August 13, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Ethiopian authorities to immediately release five journalists who have been in detention for three years awaiting trial, instead of pressuring them to admit to, and apologize for, taking part in a deadly insurgency in exchange for their freedom. Gobeze Sisay, Meskerem Abera, Genet Asmamaw, Dawit…

Nairobi, August 6, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Ethiopian authorities to stop their relentless campaign to shutter the Addis Standard, whose editor-in-chief Yonas Kedir was detained and assaulted and its newsroom raided and equipment destroyed, while also receiving an eviction notice in the last week. “These attacks on the Addis Standard and Yonas…

New York, June 19, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Ethiopian authorities to immediately release journalist Salsawit Baynesagn or bring her before a court, disclose any charges against her, and ensure that she is not being held in retaliation for her commentary. Her family told CPJ that they suspect her detention is linked to…

New York, June 12, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Ethiopian authorities to reverse the expulsion of French journalist Augustine Passilly following her reporting trip to the northern state of Tigray, where residents spoke out about their fears of a return to war. “Ethiopia’s expulsion of Augustine Passilly is a blatant act of retaliation…

In the countdown to Ethiopia’s general election, journalist Bewket Abebe flew to the northern border town of Humera, in a rare attempt at on-the-ground reporting ahead of the June 1 vote. Bewket, chief editor of The Reporter Magazine, was scheduled to meet the administrator of the contested territory, which is claimed by both Tigray and…

Nairobi, April 16, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Ethiopian authorities to do everything in their power to locate and free Addis Standard managing editor Million Beyene who was taken by unidentified men from his newsroom in the capital Addis Ababa on Wednesday morning. The outlet’s publisher Jakenn Publishing PLC said in a statement…

Nairobi, February 24, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Ethiopian authorities to immediately restore the registration of independent outlet Addis Standard after the Ethiopian Media Authority (EMA) revoked its online media registration certificate effective February 24. “This is not regulation — it is retaliation,” said CPJ Africa Director Angela Quintal. “By weaponizing vague‘national interest’…

Nairobi, February 16, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Ethiopian authorities to restore the accreditation of three Reuters journalists who were barred from reporting after the news agency published a report alleging that Ethiopia was secretly training forces fighting in neighboring Sudan’s civil war. On February 14, Reuters reported that the Ethiopian Media Authority…

Nairobi, December 10, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Ethiopian authorities to immediately release journalist Eyob Shimelis, who has been in detention since December 1 on accusations of spreading false information and defamation. Police arrested Eyob, founder and reporter of TikTok-based Sidama News, which reports on corruption in Ethiopia’s southern Sidama state, at around…

Nairobi, October 24, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on the Ethiopian Media Authority to immediately lift its license suspension of Deutsche Welle (DW) correspondents operating in the country, and to allow journalists to report freely and without intimidation. “This blatant suspension of Deutsche Welle’s journalists is an outrageous act of censorship and intimidation,” said CPJ Africa Director Angela…