Regulatory actions target media following restrictive law

Introduction

In October 2025, the World Justice Project (WJP) released its Rule of Law Index, ranking Ethiopia 132 out of 143 countries. The country’s rule of law declined by 2.4 per cent compared to 2024, reflecting a five-year trend of weakening institutions, shrinking civic space, and increasing political interference. The WJP noted that 68 per cent of countries experienced similar declines in 2025, attributing the global deterioration to the expansion of authoritarian trends, weakened checks and balances, and eroded judicial independence. Within Sub-Saharan Africa, Ethiopia ranks 30th out of 34 countries, highlighting its relative vulnerability in the regional context.

The signs of a renewed conflict in northern Tigray are increasing. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed accused the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) of allocating funds to military purposes, while the Ethiopian army chief labelled the party a criminal group that must be dismantled. Appeals by both the federal government and the TPLF for international mediation have not succeeded. At the same time, tensions with Eritrea have grown, with Ethiopian officials alleging Eritrean support for TPLF forces. Observers warn that these developments could trigger new violence in areas still recovering from earlier conflicts, underscoring the need for urgent international engagement.

Expression

On 1st December 2025, police arrested Eyob Shimelis, founder and reporter of the TikTok-based Sidama News, following his coverage of alleged abuses by regional officials. He was accused of spreading false information and defamation and presented before Hawassa City First Instance Court on 3rd December, which authorised investigators to keep him in remand until 9th December and subsequently extended it to 17th December.

Eyob had previously faced repeated threats and intimidation throughout 2025, forcing him into temporary exile in Kenya and Uganda, and only returning after informal assurances of his safety. He had also been briefly detained on 29th September 2025 over defamation allegations, a civil matter under Ethiopian law, and released on 4th October 2025 without appearing in court on the condition of issuing a public apology. In his statement, Eyob sought forgiveness from regional leaders for language he described as demeaning and affirmed his commitment to report truthfully while avoiding emotional bias.

Media freedom in Ethiopia has continued to deteriorate, with the Ethiopian Media Authority increasingly targeting journalists and outlets reporting on sensitive political and security issues. The regulator has consistently imposed suspensions, revoked licences, and declined accreditations, often citing vague claims of ethics violations or threats to national interests without providing specific evidence.

On 23rd October 2025, the Ethiopian Media Authority temporarily suspended nine Deutsche Welle Amharic service correspondents in Ethiopia, citing violations of the country’s media and hate speech laws. The authority asserted that DW’s reporting did not meet professional ethical standards. It further noted that it had previously engaged the broadcaster through discussions, feedback sessions, and written warnings, including a final warning in September 2022, without observing tangible improvements. The suspension coincides with a significant expansion of the Ethiopian Media Authority’s (EMA) regulatory powers following the17th April 2025 amendment to the national media law, reflecting a tightening of state oversight over journalistic activities, as previously documented.

In December 2025, the Ethiopian Media Authority permanently suspended two journalists while allowing seven DW correspondents to resume work, citing general claims of continued non-compliance with Ethiopian laws and professional ethics. The regulator did not provide specific examples to substantiate these claims despite repeated inquiries, and its justification for earlier temporary suspensions similarly referenced only vague breaches of media regulations without linking them to particular DW reports. The EMA letter further accused the Bonn-based Amharic editorial team, without evidence, of publishing misleading information and material framed in a manner that could incite unrest or threaten national peace and security. DW rejected the allegations, maintaining that they are unfounded and asserting its willingness to review any concrete examples should the authority provide them.

In a similar vein, in January 2026, the EMA revoked Wazema Radio’s licence, alleging violations of professional ethics and asserting that the station acted against national interests. The decision followed a pattern of regulatory actions targeting media outlets without providing publicly verifiable evidence to substantiate claims.

On 14th February 2026, Reuters reported that the EMA had declined to renew the accreditation of three of its journalists after they published a report alleging that the government was hosting a secret camp to train fighters for the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan. The authority further revoked Reuters’ accreditation to cover the 39th African Union summit in Addis Ababa.