Media watchdogs and rights groups say Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government is increasingly intimidating the media and harassing opponents as it seeks to quell unrest in the regions.
Ethiopian authorities have been particularly repressive in the Amhara and Oromiya regions recently. They justify the arrests of media personnel by accusing them of siding with the rebels.
In the latest wave of arrests, Temesgen Desalegn of Feteh magazine and Yayesew Shimelis of Ethio Forum Media were detained in Addis Ababa on Thursday, according to the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission.
Last week, Amhara authorities arrested five Ashara media journalists in a move believed to be linked to their coverage of a volunteer militia known as Fano.
On the same day, Amhara authorities also arrested four other employees of US-based online media Nisir International Broadcasting.
The head of the human rights commission, Daniel Bekele, said the total number of detained journalists now stands at 16 and called for their immediate release.
“No allegation of an alleged offense committed through the media justifies the violation of the recently passed Media Law, which clearly prohibits the pre-trial detention of those accused of committing an offense through the media,” he said. he said in a statement.
Government spokesman Legesse Tulu did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Bekele’s statement.
But the government issued a warning to the media in a statement last week: “The government will continue to take irreversible action against individuals involved in illegal activities who plan and work to create chaos and disorder, as well as against those who pose as media and journalists.”