Nairobi, August 13, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Ethiopian authorities to immediately release five journalists who have been in detention for three years awaiting trial, instead of pressuring them to admit to, and apologize for, taking part in a deadly insurgency in exchange for their freedom.
Gobeze Sisay
,
Meskerem Abera
,
Genet Asmamaw
,
Dawit Begashaw
, and
Abay Zewdu
have refused to write such apology letters, which they regard as “self-incriminating,” their lawyer, Solomon Gezahagn, told CPJ. The five were detained in 2023 on terrorism charges in connection with their reporting on unrest in the Amhara region.
Solomon said prison officials had threatened his clients and separated them from other prisoners to compel them to write their own versions of a draft document shared by the government, in addition to promising to stop working as journalists.
“After keeping these five journalists behind bars for years and delaying their trials, Ethiopian authorities are now trying to blackmail them into confessing to crimes that they have already denied in court,” said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Muthoki Mumo. “Authorities must stop humiliating and manipulating Gobeze Sisay, Meskerem Abera, Genet Asmamaw, Dawit Begashaw, and Abay Zewdu, withdraw the charges against them, release them, and ensure that they are free to continue their journalism.”
Media
reports
said more than 300 politicians, journalists, and others facing terrorism charges related to the
conflict
in Amhara region had been asked to sign apology letters.
The insurgency began in 2023 in response to a government
decision
to integrate regional militia into the federal army, which triggered
protests
. The Amhara Regional Special Forces refused to surrender their weapons and the
Fano militia
took up arms against federal forces.
About 30 detainees refused to sign, saying they would not declare themselves criminals while continuing to contest the charges in court,
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