Detention follows broadcast of woman’s rape allegations involving military personnel
At least seven journalists in Ethiopia have been detained on terrorism charges after airing a story that accused men in military uniforms of raping a woman in 2020. The report, broadcast by the Ethiopian Broadcasting Service (EBS), has sparked international concern, with human rights groups highlighting the country’s ongoing suppression of dissenting voices.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported late Wednesday that the journalists were detained in late March after the EBS aired the woman’s allegations of abduction and rape by military personnel while she was a student. The woman later retracted her statements on a state-owned channel, with EBS’s founder issuing an apology and claiming the station discovered the allegations were fabricated after the broadcast.
According to court documents reviewed by the CPJ, authorities accuse the journalists of attempting to incite conflict, undermine the constitutional order, and collaborate with "extremist" groups in the Amhara region. The journalists, along with the woman who made the allegations, were remanded in custody for a 14-day investigation.
CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Muthoki Mumo criticized the arrests, stating, “Arresting journalists on terrorism allegations is a disproportionate response to concerns over lapses in journalistic ethics.”
Ethiopia, home to over 130 million people, has been frequently criticized by international human rights organizations for its repression of free speech. The country ranks 141st out of 180 nations in the 2024 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index, noting widespread self-censorship.
Amhara, the country’s second-most populous region, has seen increasing violence in recent years, particularly following the emergence of the Fano group, which transitioned from government allies to armed rebels in 2023. Despite a state of emergency and military reinforcements, the unrest continues, with large parts of Amhara now beyond federal control and fighting intensifying.