Mekelle: 28 February 2024 (Tigray Herald)
Ethiopia is the second-worst jailer of journalists in sub-Saharan Africa, with at least 8 journalists in jail on December 1, according to pressfreedom’s annual census. They remain behind bars & must also be freed now.
Galindo, who works for Paris-based Africa In EN news site, is suspected of “conspiracy to create chaos in Ethiopia” & appeared in court on Saturday.
He is due to appear again on March 1. His unjust arrest highlights the atrocious environment for the press in general in Ethiopia.
AFRICA INTELLIGENCE The continent daily indigo publications Powered by intelligence
AFRICA INTELLIGENCE / INDIGO PUBLICATIONS GROUP
PRESS RELEASE
Attention: Embargoed until Monday 26 February 9:00 am Paris time (GMT+1)
Africa Intelligence (Indigo Publications group) condemns the unjustified arrest on 22 February and subsequent detention in Addis Ababa of one of its journalists, Antoine Galindo, while he was on an assignment in Ethiopia and calls for his immediate release.
Paris, 26 February 2024
On Thursday 22 February at 3.55pm local time, plainclothes security officers arrested the French national Antoine Galindo, an Africa Intelligence journalist on a reporting assignment in Ethiopia. He has since then been detained at the Addis Ababa Police Commission in the Bole district.
Antoine Galindo arrived in Addis Ababa on 13 February to cover an African Union summit as well as Ethiopian news.
He has been suspected of “conspiracy to create chaos in Ethiopia” and was brought before a judge on 24 February. His detention has been extended until 1 March, when the next hearing of his case will take place.
These spurious accusations are not based on any tangible evidence that might justify this extended deprivation of liberty. Antoine Galindo, a journalist known to the Ethiopia Media Authority, had informed the Ethiopian authorities of his assignment in the country and had a visa authorising him to work there as a journalist.
Indigo Publications is outraged by his unjustified arrest, which is also a serious attack on press freedom.
Indigo Publications group, the publisher of Africa Intelligence, calls on the Ethiopian authorities to urgently release Antoine Galindo.
