Ethiopian authorities arrest 11 employees of 4 independent media outlets
New York, May 24, 2022 – Ethiopian authorities should immediately release all recently arrested journalists and media workers and ensure that authorities cease harassing members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Authorities have arrested at least 11 journalists and media workers since May 19 in Amhara state and the capital Addis…
Ethiopia expels Economist correspondent Tom Gardner
Nairobi, May 16, 2022–The Committee to Protect Journalists on Monday condemned Ethiopia’s expulsion of Economist correspondent Tom Gardner, following the revocation of his press accreditation on Friday, May 13. Gardner’s expulsion came almost a year after Ethiopian authorities similarly expelled New York Times reporter Simon Marks and within the context of a deteriorating press freedom…
Ethiopian journalist Gobeze Sisay held for more than a week, interrogated about reporting
Nairobi, May 12, 2022 — Ethiopian authorities must thoroughly investigate the detention of journalist Gobeze Sisay and ensure that members of the press are not held for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. At about 10 a.m. on May 1, a group of eight armed men in plainclothes stormed Gobeze’s residence in…
Ethiopian journalists Dessu Dulla and Bikila Amenu face death penalty on anti-state charges
Nairobi, May 2, 2022 – Ethiopian authorities should immediately release journalists Dessu Dulla and Bikila Amenu, drop all charges against them, and stop targeting members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On April 7, authorities in the Ethiopian region of Oromia charged Dessu and Bikila, both journalists with the social media-based…
CPJ welcomes release of Ethiopian journalist Temerat Negara after 4 months in prison
Nairobi, April 6, 2022 – The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomed the release of Ethiopian journalist Temerat Negara on bail on Wednesday, April 6, and called for any remaining investigation into his work to be dropped immediately. “It is great news that Ethiopian journalist Temerat Negara is out of prison, but it is a grave…
CPJ welcomes release of Ethiopian journalists Amir Aman Kiyaro and Thomas Engida after 4 months in detention
Nairobi, April 1, 2022 — In response to the release of Ethiopian freelance journalists Amir Aman Kiyaro and Thomas Engida from detention on Friday, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement welcoming their release: “It is a great relief that Ethiopian journalists Amir Aman Kiyaro and Thomas Engida are home with their families,…
Ethiopia ends emergency, but pursues new cases against 3 detained journalists
Nairobi, February 18, 2022— Ethiopian authorities should drop any plans to charge two journalists, Amir Aman Kiyaro and Thomas Engida, with terrorism, stop a fresh investigation they are pursuing against editor Temerat Negara, and end the practice of punitively detaining journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. Amir, a freelancer who contributes to The…
Ethiopia Insight reporter Ermias Tasfaye detained since November
Nairobi, December 23, 2021— Ethiopian authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalist Ermias Tasfaye and all other members of the press detained for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Ermias’ November arrest was made public in a statement by his employer on December 14 and follows the Ethiopian government’s crackdown on journalists…
Ethiopia uses emergency law to ramp up arrests of journalists
Nairobi, December 16, 2021 – Ethiopian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release all journalists held in custody for their work and should refrain from using the country’s state of emergency law to imprison members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Ethiopian authorities have arrested at least 14 journalists since declaring a…
Number of journalists behind bars reaches global high
Editor’s note: Numbers for each prison census are adjusted yearly as CPJ learns of arrests, releases, or deaths in prison. The numbers for CPJ’s 2021 census have been revised from 293 to 302 in accordance with this policy. For the most recent data, see cpj.org/data/imprisoned/ The number of journalists jailed around the world set another record…