Editor of top Ethiopian independent news site seized by police, publisher says

What the report says

The publisher of Addis Standard says its editor-in-chief, Yonas Kedir, was seized by security forces in Ethiopia, held for about a day and questioned before being released. Jakken Publishing said the alleged abduction was followed by a raid on the news outlet’s offices and then an eviction order, all within three days in early August. The BBC reported that the company said equipment was taken from the multimedia studio and that the outlet may now have to leave premises it had used for 16 years.

The reported actions have drawn criticism from press freedom groups and rights organizations, which say they fit a wider pattern of pressure on independent media in Ethiopia. The Committee to Protect Journalists called the case an escalation against one of the country’s leading independent news organizations, while Human Rights Watch said the harassment reflects a broader effort to silence critical reporting. The Ethiopian government has not publicly commented on the BBC’s request for response.

The BBC also noted that Ethiopian authorities earlier revoked Addis Standard’s media registration in February, accusing it of violations of media ethics and threats to national interests, without specifying which reporting was in dispute. The outlet remained online while challenging that decision in court. The latest developments matter because Addis Standard is a prominent independent news source, and the case comes amid broader concerns about media freedom and the safety of journalists in Ethiopia.