Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald)
“Voices Silenced in Axum: A Grave Assault on Press Freedom and Justice in Tigray”
Urgent Appeal and Condemnation by Tigrayan Advocacy for Human Rights and JusticeInternational (TAHRJI)
📍 Date: June 7, 2025📍
Issued from: Mekelle – London – Washington, D.C. – Geneva
To:Tigray Interim president General Tadesse Worede
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
Amnesty International (Africa Regional Ofice)
Human Rights Watch (HRW)
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN OHCHR)
European Union Delegation to Ethiopia
U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa
African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR)
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
All Tigrayan Civic Organizations and Diaspora Groups
All Ethiopian and African Human Rights Organizations
All International and Tigrayan Media Institutions
All Tigrayan Political and Justice Stakeholders
Subject: Immediate and Unconditional Release of Unlawfully Detained TBS Journalists in Axumby TPLF-Afiliated Security ApparatusI.
Background and Violation Summary
The Tigrayan Advocacy for Human Rights and Justice International (TAHRJI) issues this urgentand powerful appeal in response to the unlawful detention of two journalists from Tigray Broadcasting Services (TBS TV) — Mr. Bereket Teklegerima and Mr. Ermias Gebrekidan — inthe historic city of Axum, Tigray, by remnants of the now-defunct TPLF military-political network.
These journalists were peacefully and lawfully conducting their professional duties—coveringlocal news and civic concerns—when they were arbitrarily arrested by TPLF-afiliated localoficials and armed groups who continue to defy constitutional governance, international pressfreedom norms, and human rights laws.This politically motivated arrest is a blatant act of intimidation, repression, and fear-mongering— aimed at silencing independent media voices and dismantling the freedom of expression andpress in post-genocide Tigray.
II. Urgent Demands
TAHRJI strongly condemns these illegal detentions and calls for the immediate andunconditional release of Bereket Teklegerima and Ermias Gebrekidan.We further demand that:
1. An independent legal inquiry be conducted into the arrest and detention conditions.
2. All forms of journalistic repression and harassment be immediately ceased across Tigray.
3. The TPLF’s illegal armed militia networks be held accountable under international andtransitional justice standards.
4. Full media access and safety for all local and international journalists in Tigray beguaranteed.
III. Statement of Concern and Legal Context
The actions taken by Axum’s former political actors afiliated with TPLF are in clear violation of:
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
The Ethiopian Federal Constitution, specifically Articles protecting press freedoms and due process
African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, particularly Article 9 (Freedom of Expression)
We afirm that the detention of these journalists is unconstitutional, unjustified, and unlawful. Itviolates both Ethiopia’s international commitments and the people’s right to receive anddisseminate information freely.
IV. Our Global Appeal
We call upon all the above-listed international human rights organizations, media watchdogs,diplomatic missions, and civil society coalitions to:
Raise international alarm and make public condemnations of these unlawful detentions.
Engage directly with the Ethiopian federal and Tigray interim authorities to secure the release ofthe journalists.Launch an international investigation into continued abuses of press freedoms by the remnantsof TPLF military factions and local enforcers.
Support local Tigrayan journalists and ensure safe reporting environments for mediaprofessionals across Tigray.
V. Narrative Message to the World
> “A Tigrayan journalist’s camera is not a threat — it is a light in the darkness. The unlawfuldetention of TBS journalists is not just an attack on press freedom, but an attack on Tigray’sfragile path to truth, justice, and democratic recovery.
The remnants of TPLF cannot be allowedto turn Axum into a graveyard of free speech. We must act now, before silence becomes thenew normal.”
VI. About Us: Tigrayan Advocacy for Human Rights and Justice International (TAHRJI)
We are an independent, nonpartisan, international advocacy coalition formed in the wake of theTigray genocide. We focus on:Promoting justice, accountability, and human rights in Tigray and beyond.Supporting transitional justice and legal reform eforts in post-war Tigray.
Protecting the freedoms of journalists, youth, religious leaders, and civic actors under threatfrom illegal and militarized groups.
VII. Contact Information
📧 Email: tahrji@justiceforTigray.org🌍 Website: www.JusticeForTigray.org
📞 Phone: +44 208 123 4567 (London) / +1 202 765 4321 (Washington)📍
Regional Ofices:
Mekelle, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Brussels, New York
🔴 ACTION NOW! INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY IS URGENTLY NEEDED.
We urge CPJ, Amnesty, HRW, the EU, U.S. Diplomats, African Union institutions, and civilsociety to treat this case with the urgency and gravity it demands. Freedom of the press mustnot be the next casualty in Tigray.
