On September 7, 2023, police in Mekelle, the capital city of the Tigray region in Ethiopia, assaulted and detained three journalists amid a brutal crackdown on public protests against the interim local government. The three journalists were Teshager Tsigab from Yabele Media, and Mehari Kahsay and Mehari Selomon from Ayaw Media. Kahsay and Solomon were released on bail on September 9 and were accused of participating in illegal protests. Tshigab, who was detained without being charged, was released on September 11. The Tigray region has been riven by an internal conflict that started in November 2020, between the central government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). A peace deal signed in November 2022 brought a ceasefire.