Ethiopian Authorities Raid Addis Standard, Detain Staff Amid Media Crackdown
0
0
ADDIS ABABA—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has condemned Ethiopian police raids on the offices of the independent media outlet Addis Standard and the home of one of its employees, calling the actions part of a broader government effort to stifle press freedom. During the April 17 operations, authorities confiscated electronic equipment and briefly detained three senior staff members, raising concerns over data security and judicial overreach.
Plainclothes officers, claiming to have warrants but failing to present them, stormed the Addis Standard office in Addis Ababa, interrogating staff and accusing the outlet of preparing a documentary “intended to incite violence.” Publisher Tsedale Lemma dismissed the allegations as baseless, stating the outlet lacks both the resources and intent to produce such content. A newsroom manager and an HR manager were taken to the Federal Police Crime Investigation Unit for questioning.
Earlier that day, police raided the home of the outlet’s IT manager in the capital’s Lemi Kura Subcity, assaulting him in front of his family before detaining him. All three employees were released hours later without formal charges.
Authorities seized laptops, mobile phones, storage devices, and external processing units, compelling staff to surrender passwords and warning them against public discussion of the raids. JAKENN Publishing PLC, Addis Standard’s publisher, voiced alarm over potential misuse of the confiscated devices, noting, “We cannot guarantee the integrity of communications or data from compromised equipment.”
Federal Police spokesperson Jeylan Abdi declined to comment, citing ongoing court proceedings, though Addis Standard’s legal team found no records of such cases after visiting authorities. CPJ’s requests for clarification to the Justice Ministry and government spokesperson Legesse Tulu went unanswered.
CPJ’s Africa Program Coordinator, Muthoki Mumo, criticized the raids as emblematic of Ethiopia’s escalating suppression of independent journalism. “Confiscating equipment under dubious pretenses risks exposing sensitive information and chilling press freedom,” Mumo said. “Authorities must halt this investigation and return all devices immediately.”
Police indicated the equipment might be released the following week, but concerns persist over Ethiopia’s tightening media landscape, with critics accusing the government of weaponizing legal frameworks to silence dissent.
Additional reporting by the Committee to Protect Journalists.
This article has been updated to reflect developments as of April 22, 2025.
