Ethiopia says it is detaining a French journalist who arrived in the country to cover the recent African Union (AU) Assembly meeting because he violated his terms of accreditation.
Antoine Galindo, a journalist for French investigative news site Africa Intelligence, reportedly arrived in Addis Ababa ahead of the AU Summit but was later detained on February 21 after which he was arraigned before he was re-detained.
On Monday, several press lobbies around the world demanded for his release even as Addis Ababa argued the journalist had flouted regulations.
A spokesperson from the Ethiopian government told the Nation that Galindo’s accreditation restricted him to cover the summit and side events.
“The Ethiopian Media Authority (EMA) has not issued any other permit to cover other local issues,” the spokesperson told the Nation on Monday.
“Police have therefore accused him of operating outside the accreditation he was given to cover the AU Summit plus accused him of engaging with members of militant forces that the country has outlawed for their attempts to destabilise a nation.”
Africa intelligence publisher, Indigo Publications Group, condemned the “unjustified arrest on February 22 and subsequent detection in Addis Ababa of one of its journalists.” The employer says it specifically wrote to the EMA in January advising that Galindo will, in fact, also be covering some local “Ethiopian affairs” and would like to interview some politicians.
The arrest reportedly happened at around 3:55 pm where Galindo was taken into custody by the officers while on a reporting assignment in Ethiopia. He has since been detained at the Addis Ababa Police Commission in the Bole District.
Mr Galindo was arrested at the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel while interviewing Bate Urgessa, a political for the Oromo Liberation Front, “a party that is legally recognised in Ethiopia” his lawyer said. Ethiopian government considers the Front one of the ‘armed destabilisers’ in the country after their armed wing launched a series of attacks last year.
Mr Bate was also arrested alongside Galindo and were taken to the capital’s Bole-Rwanda police station, then to the Bole Sub City Police department where they are currently held.
The security forces accuse Mr Galindo of conspiracy to create chaos in Ethiopia. He appeared before the Addis Ababa City Administration Bole Division Court on allegations of conspiring with two armed groups OLA-Shene, to incite unrest in the capital.
OLA-Shene, is s term used by Ethiopian officials to refer to the Oromo Liberation Army rebel group and the Fano, a militia in Amhara state that has been fighting Ethiopian government federal forces since April 2023 when they refused to disarm under the Tigray peace deal of November 2022.
Mr Galindo’s request to be released on bail was denied with the police saying they need to keep him in custody as they apprehend other suspects who were involved in the “conspiracy” as well as access his phone records.
The court granted the police custody of the Galindo and Bate until their next court appearance on March 1, 2024.
The detained journalist’s employers are however not amused by this “extended deprivation of liberty” saying the charges against Galindo are spurious and cannot be proven and has called on the Ethiopian government to urgently release their reporter.
“Antoine Galindo, a journalist known to the Ethiopia Media Authority, had informed the Ethiopian Authorities of his assignment in the country and had a visa authorising him to work there as a journalist,” Indigo Publications said.
Press freedom lobbies such as the International Press Association of East Africa (IPAEA) expressed concern about Mr Galindo’s arrest and detention.
“We call for his immediate and unconditional release. He was on a reporting assignment in Ethiopia…He remains in custody and is due to appear in court again on March 1, 2024. IPAEA will be following the proceedings keenly,” IPAEA Posted on its official X account.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), another lobby also demanded for Galindo’s release saying he was simply carrying out his professional duty. It has also questioned the continued detention yet the police are yet to produce any evidence implicating the journalist to the preferred charges against him.
“The baseless and unjustified detention of Antoine Galindo for carrying out his legitimate journalistic duties is outrageous and Ethiopian authorities must release his immediately without condition,” Angela Quintal, head of CPJ’s Africa program said.
Ethiopia has struggled recently with armed rebellion in some parts of the country. In Amhara, it imposed a state of emergence in August after the local militia started fighting government forces.
According to the 2023 Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Ethiopia ranks 130 out of 180 countries, a great deterioration from position 114 in 2022.
“Most of the recent press freedom gains have been lost since Ethiopia became embroiled in ethnic conflicts and a civil war. Although a peace accord was signed in November 2022, journalists still fear reprisals,” the RSF report noted.
