This statement was originally published on cpj.org on 16 April 2026.
The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Ethiopian authorities to do everything in their power to locate and free Addis Standard managing editor Million Beyene who was taken by unidentified men from his newsroom in the capital Addis Ababa on Wednesday morning.
The outlet’s publisher Jakenn Publishing PLC said in a statement that the men, who were dressed in plainclothes, some wearing caps and face masks, told Million he was “needed for questioning” and took him to an undisclosed location.
“Million Beyene’s disappearance from the Addis Standard’s newsroom marks a disturbing new chapter in the troubles faced by this respected digital outlet after authorities revoked its registration certificate in February,” said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Muthoki Mumo. “Ethiopian authorities must immediately establish who took Million Beyene away, ensure his release, and hold those responsible to account.” Addis Standard has repeatedly faced state pressure, including a newsroom raid in 2025 and a ban in 2021.
Screenshots of April 15 security camera footage, published by Addis Standard , showed at least three men walking up and down a stairwell. The outlet described their movements as “deliberate and organized, with one leading ahead while other follow closely behind.”
Jakenn’s leadership and legal team have been unable to locate Million and were told by four different police departments and stations that the journalist was not in their custody, the article said. Surveillance unit officers within the Addis Ababa Police and Federal Police Commission also said they did not recognize the individuals as members of their forces, it added.
Million’s disappearance comes amid escalating pressure on media outlets in Ethiopia ahead of elections on June 1.
In February, a journalist with Agence France-Pres se was blocked from flying to the northern Tigray region. The regulatory Ethiopian Media Authority also revoked the accreditation of Reuters journalists, following an investigation, and the operating license of online outlet Wazema Radio for reporting that it described as contradicting the “national interest.”
In October, the authority suspended the licenses of all nine Deutsche Welle (DW) correspondents in Ethiopia, accusing the outlet of non-specific violations of media and hate speech laws. Seven journalists have been allowed to return to work but the suspensions remain in place for the two correspondents who cover the Tigray and Amhara regions.
When asked by CPJ whether he had any information about Million’s whereabouts and if he was in police custody, federal police spokesman Jeylan Abdi said via WhatsApp that Million’s family had confirmed he was not being detained by federal police. When asked if Million’s disappearance was being investigated, Jeylan told CPJ to direct subsequent queries to the Addis Ababa police.
In a text message on April 16, Markos Tadesse, a spokesperson for the Addis Ababa police, told CPJ to contact the city force’s head of public relations, Thomas Eshete, who said in a subsequent phone call that he did not have any information.
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