On September 30, 2024, Ethiopian security personnel arrested journalist Yeshihasab Abera, deputy editor of state-owned Bekur newspaper in Bahir Dar, the capital of Amhara State, which has been engulfed in conflict since 2023. As of late 2024, he was detained without charge in Amhara State’s Dangila prison.
Security personnel arrested Yeshihasab at the offices of the Amhara Media Corporation, Bekur newspaper’s parent company, according to his wife, Meseret Hunegnaw, and media reports. Initially, he was held at a makeshift military station in Bahir Dar, where he was denied access to legal representation and communication with his family, Meseret told CPJ. Later that day, he was transferred to a police station in the same city.
On October 3, Yeshihasab was moved to an unknown location, which his family later discovered was a prison in Dangila city, about 77 kilometers (48 miles) southwest of Bahir Dar. Officials have not provided any reasons for his detention or disclosed any charges against him.
Yeshihasab’s arrest occurred amid escalating tensions in the Amhara region. Since September, there have been reports of mass arrests of civilians, civil servants, academics, and journalists as government forces have been conducting a “law enforcement operation” targeting armed groups and their alleged supporters. CPJ could not determine whether Yeshihasab’s detention was part of these broader security measures.
The Amhara conflict began following the government’s April 2023 decision to integrate regional militia into the federal army, which triggered protests. The Fano militia took up arms against federal forces — their former allies in a civil war in northern Ethiopia that ended with a peace deal in 2022. The Amhara conflict was ongoing as of late 2024.
In addition to his work at Bekur, Yeshihasab has also published two books, “Embualelie” and “Sersari Terekezoch,” which explore contemporary Ethiopian politics and include commentary on political violence and the country’s constitutional framework, according to his wife and CPJ’s review.
As of late 2024, CPJ’s emails requesting comment from the Amhara Regional State Government Communication Bureau, Bekur, and the Amhara Media Corporation did not receive any replies.