Addis Abeba- Human Rights First, a local rights organization, has alleged that authorities in Addis Abeba are conducting "arbitrary arrests" targeting Tigrayan youths "solely based on their identity," without formal charges or court appearances.
Tesfalem Berehe, Director of Human Rights First, told Addis Standard that while the organization "initially saw reports circulating on social media," it was later "contacted directly by victims and their families." After speaking with former detainees, he said, "a deeply concerning pattern emerged."
According to Tesfalem, "numerous individuals remain in custody across the city," including in the Hana Mariam area of Kotebe Sub-City, Kality and Nifas Silk Lafto Sub-Cities, as well as in the Merkato and Teklehaymanot areas of Addis Ketema Sub-City.
One Tigrayan resident of Addis Abeba, who was detained and later released, told Addis Standard that he was arrested on Saturday, 21 June, while traveling from Piassa. "I took a taxi from Piassa towards 02 to have lunch," he said. "Police were stopping and searching people near Mekane Selam Kindergarten."
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"They asked for my ID, which is from Addis Abeba, where I have lived for over 10 years," he said. "But when they saw my father's name, Gebregergis, the officer said it sounded Tigrayan and separated me." He added, "They placed me with two other individuals who had already been detained."
According to him, they were taken to a police station near St. Michael's Church in the Wesen area. "There were approximately 40 other Tigrayans already held there," he said. "Many of them were drivers who, I was told, had been stopped and taken from their vehicles."
He stated that they were later transferred to what he believes is Yeka Kifle Ketema Police Station near Shola. "They handcuffed us in pairs and took us in pickup trucks," he said. "The room was crowded, hot, and unclean--about 10 by 10 meters, with nearly 90 people inside."
"There was no explanation," he said. "When we asked, they said the order came from above. No charges were filed, and we didn't appear in court."
He said that while under arrest, police asked detainees where they were from and registered them by area. "They came in, counted us, and left," he said. "They also asked which part of Tigray we were from."
He was released on Friday, 27 June. "An official who only comes on Fridays and Mondays carried out the release decisions," he said. He described the process as arbitrary, stating, "He would simply ask whoever he liked and decide."
In a report released on 30 June 2025, Human Rights First cited multiple cases involving the detention of Tigrayans in Addis Abeba. Among them, the organization mentioned "the case of a minibus driver who was arrested on suspicion of being Eritrean," despite, it said, "providing proof of Ethiopian citizenship." The driver, according to the report, "was released after five days following intervention from his employer."
The organization stated that "many of those detained are among the more than 56,000 young people who have fled the Tigray region this year" due to what it described as "political instability and lack of opportunity." While Addis Abeba has become "a destination for those escaping hardship," Human Rights First noted that Tigrayan youths in the capital now face "growing risks of detention."
"Detaining citizens based on their name or ethnic background," he said, "is a clear violation of domestic and international legal standards." He called for "the immediate release of those detained without charge."
Human Rights First also urged the Ethiopian government to "halt the arbitrary arrests" and "end the ethnic profiling of Tigrayans."
"Officials should only take legal action in accordance with the law," Tesfalem said. He added, "Many of the arrested youths are trying to escape possible conflict in Tigray and are victims of arbitrary arrests here in Addis Abeba."
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"Today, these youths find themselves in serious trouble," Tesfalem said. "They are left without options. The government should protect its citizens and respect their rights."
Attempts to obtain a response from the Addis Abeba Police Commission were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
This is not the first time concerns have been raised over the "arbitrary arrest" of Tigrayans in the capital. In July 2021, during the height of the Tigray war, Addis Standard documented a wave of detentions involving Tigrayan residents in Addis Abeba, including individuals who had been repatriated from Saudi Arabia. Eyewitnesses at the time reported that police, accompanied by plainclothes security personnel, conducted widespread ID checks and detained individuals based on their identity. Some detainees, according to testimonies, were subjected to verbal abuse and physical mistreatment.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said it was "monitoring the situation closely" and warned that such actions could "aggravate public concerns on the risk of ethnic profiling."
