The International Press Institute (IPI) global network is deeply alarmed by the abduction of Ethiopian journalist Million Beyene, the managing editor of Addis Standard on April 15. Authorities must immediately work to locate Beyene and facilitate his return.
According to the Addis Standard, Beyene was abducted by three men in plainclothes who escorted him out of the newsroom. The incident was caught on surveillance video. The men did not identify themselves but claimed they were taking Beyene for questioning. According to Addis Standard, the police have denied having Beyene in their custody and claimed that they were unable to identify the individuals in the video as members of their forces.
On April 21, Addis Standard updated on its Facebook page that Beyene’s whereabouts were still unknown but that his phone was briefly active around 10:00 pm on April 16 before becoming unreachable again.
“We are shocked by the abduction – from his newsroom in broad daylight – of Million Beyene and deeply concerned for his well-being. The Ethiopian authorities must swiftly work to locate Beyene, and ensure his well-being and safe return. This is a serious attack on press freedom and authorities must hold those responsible to account”, said Nompilo Simanje, IPI’s Africa Program Lead.
Press freedom violations and attacks against journalists in Ethiopia have escalated in recent months. In January 2026, the Ethiopian Media Authority revoked the license of the online news outlet Wazema Radio. The regulator claimed that Wazema’s reporting was contrary to the country’s national interest. In February, the Ethiopian Media Authority declined to renew the accreditation of three Addis Ababa-based journalists from Reuters, making it impossible for the journalists to cover the 39th African Union Summit held in the city that month.
As Ethiopia approaches elections in June this year, it is essential that the public’s right to access accurate and reliable information is protected. IPI calls on the Ethiopian authorities to safeguard the safety, security, and independence of media professionals and allow journalists to freely and safely undertake their work.