Ethiopian Journalists Face Escalating Threats Amidst Complex Challenges

The 2025 Annual Ethiopia Safety of Journalists Assessment Report provides a comprehensive analysis of the escalating risks and systemic threats confronting journalists and media workers across Ethiopia. Despite ongoing national reform efforts, the report reveals that journalists continue to face intimidation, arbitrary detention, digital harassment, gender-based violations, and heightened insecurity in conflict-affected regions.

Key findings include the persistent use of national security justifications to detain or intimidate journalists, increasing digital surveillance and online harassment—particularly targeting women journalists—and rising dangers for journalists with disabilities and those reporting from conflict zones. The report also highlights significant gaps in accountability for crimes committed against journalists and weak institutional mechanisms for monitoring, prevention, and emergency support.

The assessment was conducted by an independent consultant utilizing localized and standardized monitoring tools. It underscores the increasingly complex environment in which Ethiopian journalists operate and presents evidence-based recommendations to enhance protection mechanisms nationwide.

These findings align with previous reports highlighting the deteriorating conditions for journalists in Ethiopia. For instance, a 2024 UNESCO report indicated that two journalists were killed in Ethiopia between 2006 and 2023, with the country listed among those where murdered journalists did not receive justice. Additionally, a 2023 prison census by the Committee to Protect Journalists ranked Ethiopia as the second-worst jailer of journalists in sub-Saharan Africa, noting that journalists often face charges of terrorism or "extremism," with some potentially facing the death penalty if convicted.

The report calls for urgent measures to address these challenges and improve the safety and freedom of journalists in Ethiopia.