Ethiopia’s Journalists Association Says Abducting Journalists A “Dangerous Practice”, “Unacceptable” 

Borkena

Toronto – Ethiopian Mass Media Professionals Association on Monday condemns the abduction of journalists  in the country. 

The Association released a statement in response to the abduction and disappearance of two journalists last week. 

Yonas Amare, a senior editor and journalist with the Ethiopian Reporter, and Abdulsemed Mohammed, another senior journalist who worked for Ahadu radio, were abducted last week. Their whereabouts are unknown at the time of this writing and family members have been in agony about it. 

Yonas was reportedly abducted from his residence in the Koye Feche area of Sheggar city which is under the Oromia regional state administration. The Ethiopian Reporter cited eye Witnesses, who happen to be security guards of the building, in its report this week as saying that he was abducted by individuals with masks. The Oromia region has a killing and kidnapping squad organized under a secretive body “Kore Kegegna,” as Reuters investigative report revealed in February 2024. 

Similarly Abdulsemed was abducted from his workplace area, also last week, by unidentified individuals who happen to be weakening face covering masks. 

The family has not heard about their whereabouts. The Oromia regional state, the Federal police or Addis Ababa police did not remark about what appears to be an orchestrated forced disappearance without a trace. 

In its statement, the Ethiopia’s Journalists Association called the abduction for journalists a “dangerous practice” and “unacceptable.” 

“In principle if journalists are involved in an offence in the course of their work, the Association believes that they should be held legally accountable. However, abducting journalists without due process of the law and not making them appear in court is unacceptable and a dangerous practice,” the Association Stated in its statement. 

Furthermore, it called on, apparently pointing to the government, for the abducted journalists to be freed. “If they are suspected of an issue, they should only be held accountable in accordance with the law and be freed from forced disappearance that could make them vulnerable to rights abuse.” 

In June this year, the Federal government proposed a legislation to the parliament granting law enforcement bodies to commit any crime with suspects except death. It got approval as the ruling prosperity party has over 95 percent of the seats in the parliament. The matter drew extensive criticism including from reputable human rights organizations like the Human Rights Watch, and was later repealed. 

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Government has been cracking down on the press for several years now. Dozens of journalists are behind bars. 

Human Rights Organizations have also been getting the heat as the government made unending claims of security concerns including the capital Addis Ababa. Last month, Yared Hailemariam, the Executive Director of the Ethiopian Human Rights Defenders Center (EHRDC), stepped down amid increasing pressure on human rights organizations.

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