Date: May 7, 2025
By: Ambassador Media
Agaro, Ethiopia – In a shocking and deeply disturbing turn of events, three general practitioners from Agaro General Hospital have been arrested by Ethiopian police for simply demanding their rights as health professionals. The doctors — Dr. Alazar Kebede, Dr. Adamu Damtew, and Dr. Geda Sh/Hussen — were taken into custody tonight, shortly after sharing a photo and voicing long-standing concerns about the mistreatment of healthcare workers in Ethiopia.
The arrest is a clear and unacceptable violation of human rights, and highlights the Ethiopian government’s ongoing disregard for its own citizens — particularly those on the frontlines of public service.
Health Professionals Gave Government 10 Days — It Responded With Handcuffs
Just days ago, healthcare professionals across the country issued a 10-day ultimatum to the Ethiopian government, demanding urgent action on critical problems plaguing the medical sector:
Widespread underpayment and delayed salaries
Unsafe and unsanitary working conditions
Lack of protective equipment and basic medical supplies
Systematic silencing of health professionals who speak out
Instead of engaging in constructive dialogue or showing concern for the suffering of both patients and staff, the government chose repression over responsibility.
These doctors have not committed any crime. Their “offense” was standing up for dignity — for themselves, their patients, and the profession they’ve dedicated their lives to. Arresting them is not just an attack on three individuals — it is an attack on every health worker in Ethiopia.
The Government’s War on Its Own Professionals
This arrest is part of a broader pattern in Ethiopia: silencing professionals who speak the truth, suppressing protests, and violating constitutional freedoms. The Ethiopian government is acting not as a defender of the public, but as a regime obsessed with control and intimidation.
Medical professionals are not enemies of the state — they are the lifeline of any nation. Detaining doctors who demand fair treatment reflects a government that is not only failing, but actively betraying its people.
Let us be clear: this is a human rights violation.
Freedom of expression, the right to peaceful protest, and labor rights are enshrined in both Ethiopian law and international conventions. By arresting doctors for exercising these rights, the Ethiopian government is violating:
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Articles 19, 23)
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
Its own national constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression and protection from arbitrary detention
Who Will Heal the Healers?
The detention of Dr. Alazar Kebede, Dr. Adamu Damtew, and Dr. Geda Sh/Hussen raises a vital question: who will protect those who protect us? At a time when Ethiopia’s healthcare system is already struggling, arresting doctors is not only unethical — it is a dangerous and self-destructive act.
In the photo (right to left):
Dr. Alazar Kebede
Dr. Adamu Damtew
Dr. Geda Sh/Hussen
We at Ambassador Media demand their immediate release and an end to all forms of harassment and intimidation against Ethiopian healthcare workers.
We also call upon:
The international community, including the UN and WHO, to condemn these actions
Human rights organizations to investigate this case and others like it
Ethiopian civil society to speak out in solidarity with those risking their lives to save others
Conclusion
This is not just about three doctors — this is about the right of every Ethiopian to live and work with dignity, without fear of arrest for speaking out.
History will not forget this moment. Neither should we.
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