Ethiopia: Statement on the Abduction of Addis Standard's Editor-in-Chief, Violent Raid on Our Offices, and Forced Eviction Notice

Addis Standard
Addis Standard
6 August 2026
Addis Standard (Addis Ababa)
press release

JAKENN Publishing PLC wishes to inform its partners, supporters, members of the diplomatic community, human rights groups, press freedom organizations, and the public of a series of grave incidents targeting our organization over the past several days. On Saturday, 01 August 2026, Yonas Kedir, the Editor-in-Chief of Addis Standard, a publication by JAKENN Publishing PLC, reported being abducted by security personnel, physically assaulted, and held for approximately 24 hours while subjected to prolonged interrogation.

Following his release, he submitted a detailed written account of the incident to JAKENN Publishing PLC's legal team, where it now forms part of the legal record being prepared in connection with these events. On Sunday, 02 August 2026, a heavily armed team of security and intelligence personnel entered the Addis Standard offices without due process and confiscated a significant amount of
multimedia equipment from our purpose-built production studio.

Following the raid, members of JAKENN’s Administration and Human Resources Department, together with the building's senior management, conducted an inspection and compiled a full inventory of the seized and damaged property, which has been submitted to our legal counsel. The confiscated items included multiple professional 4K video cameras, tripods, audio production equipment, microphones, video mixing devices, batteries, and other broadcast accessories essential to the daily operation of our newsroom and multimedia unit. The inspection also confirmed a disturbing pattern of deliberate destruction to studio lighting systems, light
stands, microphone stands, power accessories, and related production equipment.

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The complete inventory and valuation have been documented and preserved as evidence for ongoing legal proceedings. On Monday, 03 August 2026, the pressure against our organization escalated further when the lessor that has housed JAKENN Publishing PLC for the past 16 years, including our purposebuilt multimedia studio, was compelled by police authorities to serve the company with an eviction notice requiring us to vacate the premises within three days. JAKENN Publishing PLC's legal team has formally notified the building management that the eviction notice breaches the parties' legally binding lease agreement and lacks a lawful contractual
basis. Appropriate legal action has been initiated to challenge the notice.

These developments come while JAKENN Publishing PLC is already pursuing judicial review of the Ethiopian Media Authority's decision to revoke the online media registration certificate of Addis Standard, our independent tri-lingual publication. We maintain that the Authority's decision is unlawful and have challenged it before the competent courts. The sequence of events raises profound concerns about the ability of independent media organizations to operate free from intimidation and unlawful interference and the existence of rule of law.

JAKENN Publishing PLC calls upon the Ministry of Justice, Ethiopian Federal Police, the Addis Ababa Police Commission, and the relevant district police authorities to cooperate fully with our legal team as it pursues a comprehensive investigation into these incidents. We urge all relevant law enforcement institutions to preserve evidence, disclose the legal basis for the actions taken against our organization, identify those responsible, and ensure that everyone involved is held
accountable in accordance with Ethiopian law. We further call upon Ethiopia's judicial institutions to uphold due process and safeguard the constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and the rule of law.

JAKENN Publishing PLC and its flagship publication, Addis Standard, remain unwavering in our commitment to independent, professional, and public-interest journalism. Despite the unprecedented challenges facing our organization and our staff, we will continue to pursue every lawful avenue to defend our rights, protect our journalists and employees, and ensure that Addis Standard continues to serve the public with accurate, independent, and accountable reporting.

JAKENN Publishing PLC
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
05 August 2026

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