Ethiopia: We were glad to learn that Befeqadu Hailu and Mahlet Fantahun were freed on April 5, 2018, along with 9 other journalists. After 12 days in detention for violating vague State of Emergency laws which prohibit unauthorized gatherings, the journalists and bloggers were released without charge. Their release comes on the heels of the inauguration of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who gave a promising speech which addressed the violent crackdown on activists under the State of Emergency. While we were heartened to hear this, Ahmed must understand that the world will be watching to ensure his words become actions and policy. Join us in spreading this message to him.
