Local reporters describe a climate of fear. “For weeks I couldn’t even trust my shadow,” says an Ethiopian freelance journalist who was arrested and beaten by police
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskJust a few years ago Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopia’s prime minister, seemed to be ushering in a more hopeful era for journalists in a country notorious for ill-treating them. In 2019, a year after he took office, Abiy boasted that there were no reporters behind bars for the first time in over a decade. He hosted World Press Freedom Day and declared an “unwavering commitment” to free expression.
Since the start of a civil war 19 months ago, at least 44 Ethiopian journalists have been arrested or detained. The most recent was Gobez Sisay, who was abducted from his home on May 1st. Others, such as Lucy Kassa, who was beaten by security agents last year, have been hounded out of the country. Foreign journalists have been expelled. Among these is Tom Gardner,s correspondent, who was also beaten by police while covering the war last year.
. These days he mostly writes anonymously and avoids going out in public. “The government has its own definition of a journalist,” he explains. “Whoever goes against it is not one.” This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline"Gagged"
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