Ethiopia targets independent media in escalating press freedom crackdown - rights groups
Human rights organizations report an escalating crackdown on independent media in Ethiopia, citing the detention and harassment of editors at the Addis Standard. The government has also threatened to revoke the licenses of other broadcasters, raising concerns about press freedom in the country.
Why it matters
The erosion of press freedom in Ethiopia signals a deteriorating environment for democratic discourse and government accountability in the region.
Human rights groups have accused the Ethiopian government of trying to silence critical reporting following the alleged abduction and assault of an editor-in-chief of Addis Standard, BBC World Service reported.
On August 1, unidentified security personnel detained Yonas Kedir, the editor-in-chief of Addis Standard, and questioned him for 24 hours about the independent news outlet’s reporting before releasing him, according to a statement by the outlet. The following day, security and intelligence officials raided the outlet’s offices, damaging and confiscating equipment.
The Committee to Protect Journalists and Human Rights Watch say a raid on the offices of the Addis Standard was part of a wider pattern of targeting independent media.
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