The founder and editor-in-chief of the Ethiopia Insider, Tesfalem Waldyes, who was arrested by the police at the Ghion Hotel in the capital, Addis Ababa, on 8 June was finally released on 13 June, after three separate court decisions granting him bail. Waldyes was accused of “disseminating false information”.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes the release of Waldyes, while reiterating that he should never have been deprived of his freedom in the first place. The IFJ also criticises the authorities’ blatant disregard for the rule of law, exemplified by their refusal to release Waldyes on bail earlier, despite fulfilling all the relevant conditions.
According to a statement issued by Hak Media and Communication, which publishes the Ethiopian Insider, journalist Waldyes “was taken into custody by plainclothes officers at the Ghion Hotel in Addis Ababa. He was forced to spend the night in a chair at the police department in the Estephanos area”. He was transferred from the Estephanos area police station, where he spent the first night, to the Kera area police station, where he spent another night.
Waldyes was accused of “disseminating false information” in relation to unrest during a football match on 8 June, local media reported. The journalist’s lawyer, Betemariam Hailu, said Waldyes denied both being present at the stadium and making the alleged statement. Hailu added: “even if he had, it is not a complex issue that warrants extended investigation or denial of bail.”
As reported by Hak Media and Communication, although the bail amount was paid and the court ordered the release of the journalist, the police refused to comply with the court order, insisting that they would appeal against it. However, the Addis Ababa Cassation Court ruled that the police appeal contained a legal error that “does not warrant an appeal”, affirming that the lower courts “acted within the bounds of the law.” On 13 June, Waldyes was released after six days in custody.
IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said that while the IFJ welcomes the release of journalist Tesfalem Waldyes, his arrest under charges of “disseminating false information” is a common tactic used by repressive governments to silence the press: “Repressive governments have weaponised the laws on disinformation to clamp down on the press, silence journalists and force the media into self-censorship. Legislation criminalising disinformation is often vaguely drafted and too broad, thus allowing governments to silence journalists. We call on the Ethiopian government to uphold freedom of expression and to create an environment conducive for the media to flourish.”