French Reporter Arrested In Ethiopia On ‘Charges Of Conspiracy To Create Chaos’

A French reporter has been arrested in Ethiopia during his coverage of the recent African Union summit, according to his employer’s announcement on Monday.

Antoine Galindo, a correspondent based in Paris for the Africa Intelligence website, was apprehended in Addis Ababa last Thursday by unidentified security personnel, stated Indigo Publications, the publisher of the news outlet.

Galindo, who possessed a journalist visa, had arrived in Ethiopia earlier in the month to cover the annual African Union summit, as per the statement.

The Ethiopian government has not provided any public remarks regarding Galindo’s situation. However, according to Indigo Publications, a judge ruled on Saturday to extend Galindo’s detention until March 1st.

The publisher stated that Galindo was accused of “conspiracy to create chaos in Ethiopia,” and urged authorities to release him, condemning his arrest as a severe infringement on press freedom.

Galindo was taken into custody at the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel in Addis Ababa while conducting an interview with Bate Urgressa, a spokesperson for the Oromo Liberation Front opposition party, as reported by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Bate was also detained and remained in custody, CPJ reported.

Despite Galindo’s lawyer requesting bail, he was denied, with police seeking further detention to review his phone records and apprehend additional suspects, as per CPJ.

Ethiopia is noted as the second-largest jailer of journalists in sub-Saharan Africa, according to CPJ, which joined in demanding Galindo’s immediate release, emphasizing the dire conditions for press freedom in the country.

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