Documentary lands Ethiopian journalists in hot water amid terrorism accusations

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Police arrested the journalists over a 23 March episode of Addis Meiraf, which has since been taken down, in which Birtukan Temesgen said she was abducted and raped by men in military uniforms when she was a student in 2020.

Birtukan recanted her claims on state-owned Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation on 27 March and EBS founder Amman Fissehazion apologised on 28 March, saying the station discovered the allegations were fabricated after the programme aired.

On 1 April, the regulatory Ethiopian Media Authority said it had suspended Addis Meiraf pending “corrective actions.” Birtukan and the journalists were remanded for 14 days while police investigate.

“Arresting journalists on terrorism allegations is a disproportionate response to concerns over lapses in journalistic ethics, particularly as EBS has already faced regulatory sanction,” said CPJ Africa programme coordinator Muthoki Mumo.

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Police said the journalists sought to incite conflict, threaten the constitutional order, and overthrow the government in coordination with “extremist” groups in Amhara region, according to court documents, reviewed by CPJ.

Nebiyu Tiumelissan, Tariku Haile, Hilina Tarekegn, and Niter Dereje were arrested on 26 March, when police raided EBS and forced it off air for several hours, while Girma Tefera, Henok Abate, and Habtamu Alemayehu, were arrested on 27 March and 28 March.

Temesgan did not name her university but observers suggested it was Dambi Dollo University in western Oromia state, where ethnic Amhara students were abducted in 2019. The university said she was never their student.

In restive Oromia, rebels are fighting the government and other groups and civilians have been massacred. In Amhara region, the government is fighting Fano militias, who it says have also carried out attacks in Oromia.

The journalists’ lawyers argue editorial lapses should be addressed under Ethiopia’s media law, which stipulates administrative and civil remedies, and a proclamation against hate speech, not antiterrorism legislation.

CPJ’s emails requesting comment from Ethiopia’s federal ministry of justice were unanswered.