Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald)
“Incitement to Genocide Must Not Be Tolerated: An Urgent Global Call to Investigate and Hold Accountable Dedebit Media and Haile Arefayne for Dangerous Hate Speech and War Propaganda”
Issued by: Tigrayan Advocacy for Human Rights and Justice International
Date: 2 May 2025
I. Background and Grave Concern
Tigrayan Advocacy for Human Rights and Justice International (TAHRJI), an independent, global human rights organization dedicated to documenting, preventing, and advocating against genocidal acts and incitement of mass atrocities, issues this urgent condemnation and appeal for international investigation and action.
We raise the alarm against Dedebit Media Charity Limited (ABN 41661149506), a registered charity based in Australia at 2 Eden Place, Girards Hill, NSW 2480, and its senior editor and manager Haile Arefayne Shishaye (PhD), for engaging in sustained incitement to genocide, hate speech, and the promotion of civil war rhetoric targeting civilians in Tigray, particularly the Southern Zone.
Such actions are not only morally reprehensible and dangerous, but they also violate international law, Australian media laws, and the ethical obligations of registered charities.
II. Incitement to Genocide: A Clear and Present Danger
The language and content broadcast by Dedebit Media under Haile Arefayne’s leadership have consistently included:
Dehumanization and direct targeting of young leaders in Southern Tigray, including Tegadalay Haftu Kiros.
Open calls for conflict and division within the Tigrayan population.
Vilification, blackmailing, and labeling of Southern Tigray leaders as enemies, which dangerously mirrors the kind of propaganda used in Rwanda’s 1994 genocide.
Promotion of TPLF-aligned hate campaigns that jeopardize peace, social cohesion, and post-genocide healing efforts in Tigray.
These acts are a direct violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention, Article 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court which recognizes incitement to commit genocide as a war crime and crime against humanity.
III. Breach of Australian Charity and Media Law
Dedebit Media is registered as a charitable organization under Australian law. However, the platform’s actions under Haile Arefayne’s direction:
Contradict the values and legal standards required by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).
Violate Australian Media Council standards prohibiting hate speech and calls for violence.
Could lead to revocation of their charitable status, and potentially criminal prosecution under Australian law for promoting ethnic division and incitement from Australian soil.
IV. Our Urgent Appeal to International Authorities and Institutions
TAHRJI urgently calls on the following bodies to take immediate action:
- Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC)
Investigate Dedebit Media Charity Limited’s operations.
Revoke its charitable status for violating public trust and inciting ethnic violence.
- Australian Media and Communications Authority (ACMA) and Press Council
Censure and investigate Dedebit Media for breaching ethical media standards.
- UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect (UN R2P)
Place Dedebit Media and Haile Arefayne under watch for incitement to genocide.
- Office of the Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC)
Open preliminary inquiries into Dedebit Media’s role in inciting potential war crimes.
- Global human rights watchdogs (Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Reporters Without Borders)
Monitor and report Dedebit Media’s inflammatory activities.
Issue public condemnations to prevent normalization of genocidal rhetoric.
V. Consequences and Warning
If left unchecked, Dedebit Media’s incitement could reignite civil war and lead to targeted massacres in Southern Tigray. History has shown how unchecked hate speech leads to genocide. The international community must act before another tragedy unfolds.
We issue this final warning to Haile Arefayne Shishaye:
“Every word of incitement to genocide you broadcast is being documented. You will be held accountable — morally, legally, and historically — for the consequences of your propaganda.”
VI. Call to Action: Global Tigrayan Unity and Solidarity
We call on all Tigrayan civic groups, media platforms, youth, and diaspora communities to condemn Dedebit Media and Haile Arefayne publicly.
We urge a total boycott of Dedebit Media and any affiliated platforms until accountability is achieved.
We invite legal experts and media professionals to assist in filing formal complaints in Australia and before international bodies.
VII. Closing Statement
In the aftermath of genocide, there is no room for impunity. Those who seek to sow new divisions and reignite violence through media incitement must be stopped. Dedebit Media and Haile Arefayne represent a threat to peace, justice, and human dignity in Tigray.
We urge all responsible authorities to act now.
Issued by:
Tigrayan Advocacy for Human Rights and Justice International
A global voice for justice, accountability, and peace.
