ADDIS ABABA – The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on Ethiopian authorities to end what it described as a sustained campaign against independent media following the detention of Addis Standard Editor-in-Chief Yonas Kedir, a raid on the outlet’s newsroom, the seizure and destruction of equipment, and an eviction notice issued to the publication.
In a statement, CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Muthoki Mumo condemned the actions, describing them as “an alarming escalation” in efforts to undermine one of Ethiopia’s leading independent news organizations.
“These attacks on the Addis Standard and Yonas Kedir represent an alarming escalation in Ethiopian authorities’ campaign to dismantle one of the country’s leading independent news organizations,” Mumo said.
CPJ urged Ethiopian authorities to immediately return the media outlet’s equipment, halt the planned eviction of its offices, end all forms of harassment against its journalists, and investigate those responsible for Kedir’s detention and alleged assault.
According to CPJ, the developments occurred within the past week and included the detention of Kedir, a security raid on the newsroom, and the confiscation of journalistic equipment, raising fresh concerns about press freedom in Ethiopia.
The organization warned that the measures could have a chilling effect on independent journalism in the country, where media rights groups have repeatedly expressed concern over increasing pressure on journalists and news organizations.
A screenshot accompanying CPJ’s statement showed Kedir during a June interview with France 24, discussing Addis Standard’s receipt of a National Endowment for Democracy award recognizing the courage of its journalists working under what he described as a restrictive media environment.
