Ethiopia: Police Violently Arrest Two Amhara Women Journalists – CFWIJ Demands Immediate And Unconditional Release
Location: Ethiopia, Addis Ababa
Date: April 10, 2023
Amhara journalists Genet Asmamaw and Meskerem Abera taken by police. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is alarmed by the treatment and targeting of Amhara journalists. We demand their immediate and unconditional release.
Security forces abduct Genet Asmamaw
“Why am I being arrested for being a journalist?” you can hear Genet Asmamaw shouting on an audio recording of her unlawful arrest on April 6, 2023. Asmamaw managed to call her family while police dragged her from the office of Yeneta Media.
"Don't beat me. Why are you hitting me? Why are you kidnapping me without a court order?" says the journalist.
Men's voices mock Asmamaw, calling her a “vile woman” and telling her to “shut up.”
"About five security men in civilian clothes are trying to take me away, saying they want me,” Asmamaw can be heard saying. “They are abusing me. They are insulting me. They are going to abduct me. I don't know where they will take me or what they will do to me."
The recording indicates the journalist was taken away in a vehicle.
According to Yeneta Media, Asmamaw appeared in court in the next day. She told the judge how she was beaten and insulted by those who arrested her. Her lawyer, Henok Akliku, said the court is investigating her claims of assault by security forces,
Genet Asmamaw is a founding member of ASRAT media, an outlet that covers news in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. She is currently a journalist with Yeneta Media.
“Genet is a strong journalist who shouts for justice,” wrote Yeneta Media after the incident, “Police arresting a journalist without court order is a clear violation of law.”
Police arrest and charge Meskerem Abera
On April 9, police arrest journalist, lecturer, and political analyst Meskerem Abera. Ten federal police officers took her away after they searched her home and confiscated her phone.
Abera appeared in court on April 11 where she was charged with inciting violence and riots. Police accuse her of giving military training to informal organizations. She faces a lengthy prison sentence if convicted.
Authorities harassed Abera previously; it is the third time they have arrested her. She was released on bail in January 2023 after federal authorities charged her with “inciting hatred, violence” because of her media appearances.
Meskerem is the founder and editor independent of YouTube based media channel Ethio Nikat Media . The outlet covers news about the Ahmara state.
Tension between Amhara region and Federal government
On April 6, protests erupted in the Amhara region of Ethiopia following the federal government’s decision to disband regional special forces and integrate them into centralized police and military.
Amhara Special Forces describe it as an intentional ploy by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his government to weaken security forces in the region, force them to give up territory and leave them vulnerable to ethnic attacks.
Clashes between federal military forces and voluntary Amhara militia, who oppose the centralization of security forces, have resulted in the deaths of four people.
On 4 April, the federal government said a “covert group” had been arrested, alleging planned incitement to violence by attacking senior officials. Those held include Amhara academics, media owners, and activists.
The federal government is also struggling to contain a spreading insurgency in the southern region of Oromiya, where Amhara civilians have frequently been the target of mass killings..
Genet Asmamaw recently interviewed General Tefera Mamo, the former Commander of the Amhara Special Forces for Yeneta Media.
The Ethiopian government has continued to curtail press freedom since the outbreak of civil war in the Tigray region in 2020. The government uses its media regulator as a tool, making it redundant for protecting journalists. Several journalists have been killed, and many whose reporting does not align with government narratives have been detained on serious charges, including terrorism.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is deeply concerned about the targeting of Amhara journalists by the Ethiopian government. The illegal police abduction and violent treatment of Genet Asmamaw are particularly abhorrent. We demand that both journalists are immediately and unconditionally released.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.