The number of journalists jailed around the world
set another record in 2021. Invoking new tech and security laws, repressive
regimes from Asia to Europe to Africa cracked down harshly on the independent
press.
In its 2021 report on the global status of press
freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists ranked Ethiopia among the worst
jailers of journalists in Sub-Saharan Africa after Eritrea. The report that was
released today revealed that in Ethiopia in 2021, one journalist was killed and
nine remain in prison.
An earlier report that released yesterday and focused on Ethiopia, the CPJ also noted the suspension of Addis Standard, independent online media in July 2021, assaults and intimidation on members of the press, the expulsion of at least one foreign journalist for war coverage and an internet disruption among the setbacks for the media.
It is to be remembered that in 2019 after reforms
promised and undertaken by PM Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopia improved 40 places from the
150th rank the year before on the World Press Freedom Index where the Reporters
without Borders (RSF) ranks 180 countries and regions according to the level of
media freedom. Ethiopia now stands at 101th on the annual ranking.
The CPJ detailed that numerous journalists have been
arrested in the country since the start of the war in Tigray a year ago where
nine reporters were still in custody on December 1. “Six were arrested in
November as the conflict escalated and the government imposed harsh emergency
laws. CPJ documented multiple other press freedom violations throughout the
year,” the report read.
According to Addis Standard, it has followed and
documented violations against press freedom throughout the year, including the
killings of both Oromia Broadcasting Network’s (OBN), Sisay Fida and Tigray
TV’s Dawit Kebede and the arrest and subsequent release of Tesfalem Woldyes, a
prominent independent journalist with two decades journalism experience and the
founder of Ethiopia Insider, a private Amharic Language Online news outlet and
many more.
Addis Standard’s investigations reveal that in
Ethiopia, 11 journalists remain behind bars.
The following is a list of journalists who remain in
prison as of December 09, 2021:
Tesfa-Alem Tekle is a journalist working for Kenya’s
Nation Media Group working as its correspondent in Addis Ababa. He was arrested on October 31, 2021 in Addis
Abeba.
Ermiyas Alemu is a radio journalist working for a
private radio station. He was arrested two weeks ago in Addis Ababa from his
residence by the Addis Abeba Police Commision.
Kirom worku is a journalist working for Ahadu Radio
as head of its news department. He was arrested on October 22, 2021 by Addis
Ababa police from his office. On
November 16 2021 the Arada high court ordered his release on 15,000 ETB but he
remains in prison.
Abdusalaam Hasan is a journalist working for Oromia
Media Network (OMN). He was arrested on November 21, 2021 in Addis Ababa
Melese Diribsa, the news director of the Oromia
Media Network (OMN), he was charged alongside high profile pliticians and
senior Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC) members Jawar Mohammed, Bekele Gerba,
Hamza Adane and Dejene Tafa of terrorism.
Bikila Amanu and Decchasa Wirtu, both journalists
working for the Oromia News Network (ONN), were arrested on November 19 2021 in
Addis Abeba.
Ibrahim Hussein, Salman mukhtar, Mohamed Qasim and
Hirsi Mohamed are journalists working for the first private Somali Language TV
Station in Ethiopia, Nabad TV. All four were arrested on November 10, 2021
in Jigjiga, the capital of the Somali Regional State.
Mikiyas Tilaun is a journalist working for a private
media company. He was arrested in September 2021 in Bahir Dar, the capital of
the Amhara region.
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