News: Fed. prosecutors drop three charges against former state minister; defense says charges can be reinstated
His lawyer, Abera Nigus, clarified the termination of the charges to #Addis_Standard saying: “he was sentenced to four years in a separate case. This charge was in addition to the one for which he had already been convicted.”
Taye, who was first arrested in December 2023 following public criticism of the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. He was subsequently charged with the crime of “supporting anti-peace forces and being in possession of unauthorized weapons”.
His case has seen multiple legal turns, including a Federal Supreme Court decision in December 2024 ordering a retrial after overturning earlier acquittals.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56607
Statement on the release of journalist #Million_Beyene
After two weeks in undisclosed, informal detention facilities in Addis Ababa and outside the city, following his abduction from the #Addis_Standard newsroom, Million Beyene has been handed over this afternoon to his family, as well as JAKENN’s legal team and colleagues.
Further details will be shared to the public as appropriate and in a manner that does not compromise Million’s safety and security.
JAKENN Publishing PLC, the publisher of Addis Standard, unequivocally rejects the abduction by intelligence officers and the subsequent ordeal suffered by Million.
This incident underscores the urgent need to uphold freedom of the press and protect journalists from intimidation, unlawful detention, and coercion.
A free and independent press is essential to safeguarding the public’s right to information and the rule of law.
JAKENN Publishing PLC
#Ethiopia: Defending media crackdown, senior EMA official berates global press freedom advocates
A senior official at the Ethiopian Media Authority (#EMA) has mounted a strong defense of the regulator’s decision to revoke the operating license of #Addis_Standard, dismissing international criticism as part of a broader campaign that undermines Ethiopia’s sovereignty.
In an opinion piece published on 26 February 2026, Yonatan Tesfaye, Deputy Director General of EMA, described global condemnation of the move — including statements from Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, and the Committee to Protect Journalists — as reflective of what he called a “globalist machinery” promoting narratives hostile to Ethiopia’s national interests.
He argued that international observers often disregard the country’s legal framework and security context, including armed insurgencies and what he described as foreign influence in the information .....
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55459
#Ethiopia: Statement on the abduction of #Addis_Standard Managing Editor by plainclothes men from his workplace
JAKENN Publishing PLC expresses grave concern over the disappearance of its Managing Editor, #Million_Beyene, who was taken at approximately 10:40 a.m. today (15 April 2026) from the newsroom by a group of unidentified individuals in plain clothes.
The individuals informed Million that he was “needed for questioning” before taking him to an undisclosed location.
Security camera footage reviewed by JAKENN shows a sequence of events in which multiple individuals in civilian clothing entered the building in a staggered manner over several minutes. The footage captures at least three men, wearing caps and face masks, and one without a cap and a face mask, moving through the stairwell area and coordinating their movements. Shortly thereafter, Million is seen being escorted out of the premises by the group. The individuals appear to act in a deliberate
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=56522
Explainer from #Addis_Standard Newsroom:
As of 24 February, Addis Standard has not received any formal written notice, legally mandated opportunity to respond, or reasoned decision preceding the #Ethiopian Media Authority’s public claim, made via social media, that our online media registration was revoked.
Ethiopian media law is clear: suspension or revocation of a media license must follow a defined process, including written notice, a 14-working-day right of response, a reasoned decision, and access to appeal before the Authority’s Board of Directors.
None of these mandatory steps have been observed. Addis Standard remains fully operational and continues its public-interest journalism in good faith, while its publisher, #JAKENN Publishing PLC, pursues clarification and rectification through lawful channels. This matter goes beyond one newsroom, it concerns whether media regulation in Ethiopia is governed by law, due process, and institutional accountability.
Read the explainer: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55392
News: ‘A humanitarian catastrophe for up to 3.1 million… is anticipated’: #US Senator warns of #Ethiopia food aid collapse as #JEOP funding scheduled to end
Jeanne Shaheen, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has warned of an impending “humanitarian catastrophe” in Ethiopia as U.S. funding cuts threaten to halt the Joint Emergency Operation Program (JEOP), a major food assistance mechanism supporting millions across Ethiopia’s war-torn regions of Afar, Amhara and Tigray.
In an email sent to #Addis_Standard containing the letter, Senator Jeanne said, “due to funding cuts and the restructuring of U.S. food assistance programs… key programs for life saving food assistance… will come to an end in June 2026,” warning that “a humanitarian catastrophe for up to 3.1 million acutely food insecure people is anticipated, including over a million internally displaced in Ethiopia.” https://addisstandard.com/?p=56729
#Ethiopia: VOX Tigray report warns of “severe deterioration” of media environment in #Tigray
A new report by #VOX_Tigray has documented what it describes as a “severe deterioration” of the media environment in Tigray over the past year, with conditions worsening sharply since early 2026 amid growing political pressure, arrests, and displacement of journalists.
The report, sent to #Addis_Standard, based on interviews with media professionals and cross-checked accounts, paints a picture of a sector under strain from “physical threats, arbitrary arrest, surveillance, smear campaigns, editorial coercion, economic hardship, and displacement.” It situates the crisis within broader national trends of declining press freedom and heightened political polarization, both at federal and regional levels.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56747
News: Four #Ethiopians killed in #Johannesburg shooting, at least ten detained; Ethiopian officials await probe findings
Dessie Alebachew, chargé d’affaires at Ethiopia’s embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, told #Addis_Standard that the killings are part of a broader pattern of violence affecting foreign nationals.
“The killings didn’t just start now; they’ve been going on for a while. However, from time to time, the level and scale of the killings have been increasing,” she said. “The day before yesterday, one person was killed, making it a total of four people.”
Ten others, aged between 19 and 35 were also detained by local police in an operation targeting “spaza” shops in Mokwakwaila, Ga-Mokgwathi, and Ga-Ramotshinyadi villages.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56661
#News_Analysis: Coalition of eight political parties warns it will withdraw from #elections unless ‘widespread violations’ against members are immediately addressed
“We have repeatedly brought these issues to the attention of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia, relevant government bodies, specifically the Prosperity Party office, and the Joint Council,” Alamrew Yirdaw, Head of Election and Political Affairs at the coalition told #Addis_Standard. “We have spoken out about these problems at every platform organized by the Board.”
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56592
News: Publisher challenges #EMA’s revocation of Addis Standard registration, cites due process violations
#JAKENN Publishing P.L.C., the publisher of #Addis_Standard, has formally contested the decision by the #Ethiopian Media Authority (EMA) to revoke the outlet’s online media registration certificate, arguing that the move lacks legal basis and violates due process guarantees under Ethiopian law.
The response follows an announcement circulated on the Authority’s official social media channels on 24 February 2026, stating that Addis Standard’s registration had been revoked.
In a letter addressed to the EMA Board of Directors, JAKENN said a legal review found the announcement “exceeds the Authority’s procedural powers” and is incompatible with safeguards provided under Media Proclamation No. 1238/2021, as amended by Proclamation No. 1374/2025.
The publisher stressed that Addis Standard is operated by JAKENN Publishing P.L.C., a legally registered private....
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55387
News: #Ethiopian Media Authority revokes Addis Standard’s online media registration; Editor-in-Chief disputes claims
The Ethiopian Media Authority (#EMA) has announced the revocation of the online media registration certificate of #Addis_Standard, effective 24 February 2026, citing repeated violations of media ethics, national laws, and what it described as the country’s national interests.
The statement did not specify which reports or actions formed the basis of the decision.
Responding to the EMA’s announcement, Yonas Kedir, Editor-in-Chief of Addis Standard publications, rejected the Authority’s claims, saying the outlet had never received any formal notices of violations.
“The claim that Addis Standard received repeated notices is factually incorrect. At no point has the Ethiopian Media Authority formally notified Addis Standard newsroom of any prior violations or enforcement actions,” he said. He added that the publisher, #JAKENN Publishing PLC, ..…
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55383
News: #Tigray Culture and Tourism Bureau outlines next steps after #Al_Nejashi Mosque enters #UNESCO Tentative List
Speaking to #Addis_Standard, Atsbha Gebregzabher, head of the Tigray Culture and Tourism Bureau, said the inclusion “is a formal gateway to World Heritage status” and signals international recognition of the site’s historical and symbolic importance.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56738