Amnesty International today urgently called on Ethiopian authorities to engage in meaningful dialogue with striking healthcare professionals and to immediately and unconditionally release all medical workers detained in connection with peaceful protests over working conditions and salary disputes.
The organization has received credible reports that several doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers were arbitrarily arrested in recent weeks amid a nationwide strike that has disrupted critical services. The strike, organized by healthcare unions and professional associations, was launched in response to long-standing grievances over low wages, poor working conditions, and lack of essential medical supplies.
“It is deeply concerning that healthcare workers – the backbone of the country’s medical system – are being punished for exercising their fundamental rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association,” said Tigist Gebru, Amnesty International’s Regional Researcher for East Africa. “Rather than resorting to repression, the Ethiopian government must immediately release all detained medics and initiate good-faith negotiations to address their legitimate concerns.”
Amnesty International emphasizes that the detention of healthcare professionals not only violates their human rights but also exacerbates the ongoing health crisis affecting millions across the country. Arbitrary arrests and intimidation undermine trust in public institutions and could drive more skilled workers to leave the profession or the country altogether.
“Authorities must prioritize dialogue and cooperation over coercion,” Gebru added. “Silencing medics through intimidation is not only unlawful—it is dangerous and unsustainable in the face of Ethiopia’s already fragile healthcare system.”
Amnesty International urges the Ethiopian government to:
- Unconditionally release all detained healthcare professionals.
- Cease all acts of harassment, intimidation, and retaliation against striking workers.
- Ensure that any response to industrial action is fully consistent with international human rights law, including the rights to peaceful protest and collective bargaining.
The organization will continue to monitor the situation and stands in solidarity with healthcare workers advocating for dignity, safety, and fair treatment.
