Ethiopia: Ethiopian Publication Condemns Violent Office Raid and Staff Abduction

What the report says

Addis Standard’s parent company, JAKENN Publishing PLC, said it was dealing with a series of serious incidents in Ethiopia involving its newsroom and staff. In a statement dated 5 August 2026 and carried by AllAfrica from Addis Standard, the company said Editor-in-Chief Yonas Kedir was abducted by security personnel on 1 August, physically assaulted, held for about 24 hours and interrogated before being released.

The statement also said a heavily armed group of security and intelligence personnel entered the Addis Standard offices on 2 August without due process and removed or damaged equipment from the publication’s multimedia studio in Addis Ababa. JAKENN listed professional cameras, audio tools, lighting and related broadcast gear among the items taken or damaged, and said it had documented the losses for legal proceedings.

According to the report, pressure on the organization increased on 3 August when police reportedly compelled the building’s lessor to deliver an eviction notice requiring JAKENN to leave within three days. The company said the notice violated its lease and that it had started legal action to challenge it. The statement comes amid an existing court challenge to the Ethiopian Media Authority’s revocation of Addis Standard’s online media registration, underscoring broader concerns about press freedom, due process and the operating environment for independent media in Ethiopia.