Addis Ababa police have detained Salsawit Baynesagn, a journalist and famous content creator and she has yet appeared before court since her arrest a week ago, APA can report on Thursday.
Salsawit’s sister, Haymanot Baynesagn, told local media on Wednesday that the family has not been informed of the reasons behind the arrest.
“My sister was detained on Monday. We have not been given any explanation for her detention, and she still has not been brought before a court,” she said.
According to her, Baynesagn was initially held in what’s commonly known as “dark room,” where family members were denied access for the first two days.
“They told us, ‘You cannot see her.’ We were only able to visit her on the third day, and we have been seeing her since then. But the reason for her arrest has never been clearly explained to us,” she said.
Haymanot said Baynesagn, a mother of a four-year-old toddler, is currently being held at the Third Police Station near Piassa Giorgis in Addis Ababa. She added that police had informed the family that Baynesagn would be brought before a court on Tuesday 16 June.
“We went to court that day expecting her case to be heard. We waited both in the morning and afternoon, but she never appeared. When we later returned to the police station, we confirmed that she had not been taken to court,” she said.
The family believes the detention may be linked to video’s Salsawit recently shared on social media related to the killing of at least 35 followers of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) in Arsi zone in Oromia region about 130 kilometers southeast of Addis Ababa.
Members of EOTC have been detained in recent days, including theologian, researcher, and religious books author Kesis Mezgebu Kassa (PhD).
Reports also indicate that Deacon Zelalem Taye and Yoni Yesemaetu, known for sharing information and commentary on Church-related issues through social media platforms, have been detained.
Salsawit Baynesagn has been one of the leading voices in Ethiopia speaking out against rights violations in the country, among other issues. She has a large following on social media platforms, including TikTok.
MG/as/APA