French journalist Antoine Galindo imprisoned in Ethiopia, accused of wanting to “create chaos”.

French journalist Antoine Galindo has been imprisoned in Ethiopia since his arrest on February 22. Authorities in Addis Ababa have charged him “Conspiracy to create chaos” In the country, on Monday February 26, his employer announced a special release Africa Intelligence. In a press release, Indigo Publications Group, publisher of the media Africa Intelligence, “Outraged by this unjustified arrest which is also a grave attack on the freedom of the press”.

Mr. Galindo was brought before a judge on Saturday who extended his detention to 1^er kuch, “The date on which the next hearing shall be held”According to Africa Intelligence. publication condemned “false accusations” WHO “Not dependent on any tangible element” and calls “Immediate Release” of his reporter. Asked by Agence France-Presse (AFP) about the arrest, Ethiopian authorities did not immediately respond.

Antoine Galindo, 36, head of the East Africa Division, arrived in Ethiopia on February 13 to cover the African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa, the pan-African organization’s headquarters. “Antoine Galindo, a noted journalist with the Ethiopian Media Authority (EMA)”Media Supervisory Body in Ethiopia, “He had a visa authorizing him to carry out his journalistic activities”underlined Africa Intelligence.

Antony Galindo lived in Ethiopia between 2013 and 2017, during four years he was a correspondent for several international media.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned it “Unjustified Arrest” WHO “Highlights the dire context for the press in Ethiopia in general”Which describes as an NGO “Second worst jailer of journalists in sub-Saharan Africa”..

According to a source close to the case who requested anonymity, Antony Galindo was arrested on Thursday afternoon in the Ethiopian capital in the company of an official from the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), a legally registered opposition political party, with whom he was meeting. . A party spokesman also confirmed to AFP that a party official was arrested at the same time in Addis Ababa on Thursday, although he was not able to confirm that he was in the journalist’s company. The officer is still in detention.

The press freedom situation has once again deteriorated

Africa’s second most populous country (120 million inhabitants) and a mosaic of about 80 ethnolinguistic communities, Ethiopia is undermined by several local conflicts, particularly in the two most populous regional states, Oromia and Amhara.

After improving greatly when the current Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, came to power in 2018, the state of press freedom has once again deteriorated significantly since 2020 since the start of the war in Ethiopia and the regional state of Tigray. In mid-2020, Yasin Juma, a Kenyan journalist, was detained for more than a month, although the Ethiopian justice system ordered his release.

In 2023, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Ethiopia was at 130^E World rank in terms of press freedom, down 16 places compared to 2022. According to the NGO, according to 1^er In January 2024, 15 journalists were in jail.

“Abuses against journalists observed since the start of the war in Tigray in late 2020 continue to increase”.Condemned the RSF before Mr. Galindo’s arrest. “Several journalists were killed in unclear circumstances”According to the NGO, which was also noted “Hostility towards foreign media”.