A cameraman for Reuters was arrested in Ethiopia after police raided his home and confiscated his computer, phone and other materials, Reuters reported on Monday.
In a statement, the news agency condemned Thursday’s arrest and said Kumerra Gemechu, 38, received no reason for his detention and was arrested in front of his wife and children.
The Reuters cameraman was allegedly involved in covering the fighting between government troops and rebel forces in the northern Tigray region.
“Kumerra is part of a Reuters team that reports from Ethiopia in a fair, independent and impartial manner. Kumerra’s work demonstrates his professionalism and impartiality and we are not aware of any basis for his detention, “said Reuters chief editor Stephen Adler.
“Journalists must be allowed to report news in the public interest, without fear of harassment or harm, wherever they may be. We will not rest until Kumerra is released, “Adler continued.
Although Kumerra did not receive a reason for his arrest, a judge saw his case on Friday and gave police two weeks to investigate, with Kumerra being detained for the time being. Authorities have reportedly cracked down on journalists covering the Tigray government’s struggles in recent months, and a handful of people have been arrested.
Government spokesmen did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment. The Committee to Protect Journalists, which reported earlier this month that a record number of journalists were imprisoned worldwide in 2020, called Kumerra’s arrest “the latest example of how press freedom is rapidly eroding under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed after a brief hope of reform “in a statement to the news agency on Monday.