Authorities in Central Ethiopia have detained 29 activists, a group comprising numerous pro-democracy supporters and social media activists, accusing them of inciting violence and riots among the citizens. Mesele Abraham, an owner of the Hadiya Media House, known for its commentary on politics and social issues, was among those arrested, his brother, Mohammed told VOA Amharic. Mohammed asserts that his brother was arrested solely based on his social media posts and coverage of pertinent issues, refuting any allegations of incitement to riot. However, the authorities claimed that the social media posts had been inflaming conflict, citing an example of tensions between the Guraghe and Kebeina ethnic groups in Wolkite town a few months ago. “We have identified social media posts that are developmental and those that are subversive, those that offer constructive criticism and those that propagate hatred,” Temesgen Kassa, head of the security bureau of the region said.

Source: Ethiopian News January 22, 2024 20:55 UTC