Germany – August 17, 2025 – Ambassador Media strongly condemns the abduction of journalist Yonas Amare, a staff reporter at The Reporter newspaper, who was taken by unidentified, masked individuals on the night of 14 August near his residence at the Koye Feche condominium in Sheger City, Ethiopia.
According to colleagues and witnesses, Yonas was last seen on duty before his disappearance. Security guards at the condominium confirmed that he was forcibly taken by masked men, yet no further details about the perpetrators or his whereabouts have been disclosed. Four days later, his family and workplace have been unable to contact him, and Ethiopian authorities have provided no official information.
This alarming incident marks the second journalist to be abducted in Ethiopia this month alone, underscoring an increasingly hostile environment for independent journalism in the country. The silence of the Ethiopian government in the face of such blatant violations of press freedom is unacceptable and raises serious concerns about its complicity in the targeting of journalists.
Ethiopia’s international commitments to protect freedom of expression and the press are being trampled upon. Instead of safeguarding the rights of its citizens, the government is fostering fear and censorship by allowing, and possibly orchestrating, the disappearance of journalists.
Ambassador Media demands the immediate and unconditional release of Yonas Amare. We further call on the Ethiopian authorities to take full responsibility, provide clear answers, and ensure the safety of all journalists in the country.
“The targeting of reporters for simply doing their job is not only a grave injustice to the individuals affected but also a direct assault on democracy and the right of the Ethiopian people to be informed,” Ambassador Media declared in its statement from Germany.
The international community must not remain silent. We call on human rights organizations, press freedom advocates, and foreign governments to hold Ethiopia accountable for these escalating abuses.
Justice for Yonas Amare. Justice for Ethiopia’s silenced voices.