Following his arrest by authorities in civilian clothing in the early afternoon of 22 February, Galindo was brought before a judge two days later, who extended his detention until 1 March on allegations of conspiring with two armed groups to incite unrest in the capital, Africa intelligence reported. Galindo, head of Africa Intelligence's East Africa section, has been held since at the Addis Ababa Police Commission in the Bole district, southeast of the capital city.
The journalist had arrived in Addis Ababa on 13 February on assignment to cover an African Union summit, according to Africa Intelligence. The media outlet published a statement condemning “his unjustified arrest, which is also a serious attack on press freedom.”
It also stated that Galindo has been suspected of “conspiracy to create chaos in Ethiopia,” and declared that such accusations are without evidence to justify his detention. The journalist had in fact informed the Ethiopian authorities of his assignment in the country and provided them with a visa authorising his journalistic work.
There has been a systematic pattern of repression by the Ethiopian Government to silence the media, harassing journalists to stop them from doing their work.
IFJ President Dominique Pradalié said: “The arrest of AntoineGalindo is yet another stifling attempt to suppress independent journalists and a deliberate attack on press freedom. Journalism is not a crime and we demand Galindo’s immediate release and that clarity be shed on the unfounded accusations of Ethiopian authorities.”
UPDATE 01.03.2024 The French journalist Antoine Galindo was released on 29 February, Africa Intelligence reported. It state that the journalist was “freed after a week in prison and was able to leave Addis Ababa to return to Paris.”