According to information provided to IPI, on the evening of 8 June, newspaper distributor Fikre Gudu was arrested at his home. The authorities have given no official explanation for Gudu’s arrest and it is not known whether he has been charged with an offence.

Gudu, who is a well-known distributor of large numbers of newspapers in the Addis Ababa area, lives in the Arat Kilo neighbourhood, which is not only where most newspapers are printed, but also where one of Addis Ababa University’s campuses is situated.

During recent protests over fraud allegations in the 15 May parliamentary elections, five Ethiopian journalists had their accreditation revoked by police. There have also been other allegations of the media being harassed when covering the violence that left 36 people dead.

Commenting on Gudu’s arrest, IPI Director, Johann P. Fritz said, “The arrest appears to be an attempt by the Ethiopian government to disrupt the free flow of information to the Ethiopian people about the recent violence in the city.”

“While there are other distributors in the capital Addis Ababa who can supply newspapers to readers, Gudu’s profile is such that his arrest will send a strong signal to other distributors and vendors that they risk similar arrest and detention.”

“Newspapers are invaluable sources of information during times of crisis and their journalists must be allowed to practise their profession without fear of harassment or intimidation. The media is not part of the government’s communications system nor can their distribution networks simply be disrupted whenever the Ethiopian government feels it is expedient to do so,” said Fritz.