Saturday, 8 August 2026 |Michael Andrew | Nairobi, Kenya | GT-News |
Ethiopia’s authorities are facing renewed criticism over what press-freedom advocates describe as an escalating campaign against the independent Addis Standard, after security personnel detained and allegedly assaulted its editor-in-chief, raided its newsroom and destroyed critical equipment.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Thursday called on Ethiopian authorities to immediately stop what it described as a campaign to shut down the publication, return seized equipment and investigate the alleged assault of editor-in-chief Yonas Kedir.
“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,” said Muthoki Mumo, CPJ’s Africa Program Coordinator.
“Authorities must immediately return the outlet’s equipment, halt its forced eviction, end all further harassment, and hold those responsible for Yonas’ detention and assault to account,” she said.
Editor detained and allegedly assaulted
Kedir was seized by security personnel on August 1 and held for about 24 hours, according to the publication’s owner, JAKENN Publishing PLC.
The publisher said Kedir was physically assaulted and subjected to prolonged interrogation during his detention.
The following day, heavily armed security and intelligence personnel raided the Addis Standard’s offices in Addis Ababa and confiscated equipment used to produce its journalism.
Cameras, microphones and audio-visual production equipment were among the items taken. The publisher also said lighting systems and equipment in the outlet’s purpose-built production studio were deliberately destroyed.
For a newsroom that relies on such equipment to report, produce and distribute information, the raid has potentially left the publication facing serious operational challenges.
Landlord ordered to evict newsroom
The pressure intensified on August 3, when the outlet’s landlord issued a notice ordering JAKENN Publishing to vacate its premises within three days.
The publisher said the landlord had been “compelled” by police authorities to issue the eviction notice.
The Addis Standard has operated from the premises for 16 years.
JAKENN Publishing has since launched a legal challenge, arguing that the eviction notice is unlawful and violates its lease agreement.
The latest incidents come as the publisher is already challenging a decision by the Ethiopian Media Authority to revoke the Addis Standard’s online media registration certificate.
The regulator made the decision on February 24, effectively preventing the publication from operating online in Ethiopia. JAKENN Publishing is contesting the decision in court.
Pattern of pressure
The latest crackdown follows months of growing pressure on the publication and its journalists.
In April, Addis Standard Managing Editor Million Beyene was seized from the newsroom by unidentified men and held incommunicado for approximately two weeks. He has since left the publication.
The outlet has also faced government pressure in previous years.
In 2025, police raided its newsroom and an employee’s home and detained three managers for several hours.
Authorities withdrew the publication’s license for several days in 2021, while editor Medihane Ekubamichael was detained in 2020.
Founded in 2011, the Addis Standard has established itself as one of Ethiopia’s prominent independent news organizations, reporting on politics, governance, human rights and other issues affecting the country.
The repeated actions against the publication have raised concerns among press-freedom organizations about the shrinking space for independent journalism in Ethiopia.
Authorities yet to respond
CPJ said it contacted Ethiopia’s Ministry of Justice and Government Communication Service seeking comment on the allegations but had not received a response by the time of publication.
The organization is urging Ethiopian authorities to end further harassment of the publication and its journalists and to ensure that those responsible for Kedir’s alleged assault and detention are held accountable.
For journalists working in Ethiopia, the latest events underscore the risks faced by independent news organizations operating in an increasingly restrictive environment.
The dispute over the Addis Standard’s registration is now before the courts, but the physical raid, alleged assault and eviction threat have added a new dimension to a battle that could determine whether one of Ethiopia’s longstanding independent media outlets can continue operating.
