Ethiopia must stop 'harassment of journalists': Human Rights Watch

"The Ethiopian authorities’ renewed efforts to muzzle independent reporting are all about preventing public scrutiny of the government," Laetitia Bader, HRW's deputy Africa director, said in a statement.

The government did not immediately respond to a request for comment from AFP.

On September 3, three journalists working for the private radio station Sheger FM were arrested after reporting on health workers who have been protesting for better wages.

The Ethiopian Media Authority "ordered the station to remove the broadcast, accusing it of bias and inciting violence," according to HRW.

Although the station complied, "security forces still arrested the journalists," it added, with only one so far released.

It is the latest targeting of reporters ahead of elections due by June 2026.

In April, three employees of the Addis Standard, an English-language online daily, were detained for several hours after a police raid on their offices.

"The repression against independent media is only increasing," an Ethiopian journalist in exile for several years told AFP, describing a "terrifying" climate.

When he came to power in 2018, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was praised for opening up civil space after nearly three decades of authoritarian rule by the Tigray People's Liberation Front.

But rights groups say he quickly reneged on his early promise, especially after the country was plunged into a devastating civil war in 2020.

Ethiopia ranked 145th out of 180 countries in RSF's press freedom index this year, down four places on 2024.

RSF said eight journalists are currently imprisoned in Ethiopia.