Dendea was arrested in December 2023 for allegedly plotting a coup against the government. The federal court Wednesday released Dendea on bail of 20,000 Ethiopian birr.
Alemayehu told reporters that armed individuals who wore face masks intercepted him as he stepped out of the Kilinto Prison. Rumor has it that Dendea was taken to the Federal Police Crime Investigation Bureau for unclear reasons.
According to his wife, the incident occurred around 5:00 PM on Wednesday, December 4, when Taye was supposed to be released.
“They said he was ‘wanted’ and took him away. They were holding a letter they claimed was from a higher authority, but we were not able to read what it said,” she added.
Dendea’s arrest came after his criticism of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. He described the Prime Minister as “a ruthless man who plays with the blood of the innocents.”
The whereabouts of Dendea is not known and the Ethiopian government has not yet commented on his address.
Taye Dendea, an ethnic Oromo nationalist, was once a vocal defender of Ahmed’s administration but has increasingly clashed with its policies one year ahead of his imprisonment..
Dendea’s abduction has sparked widespread concern among Ethiopians on social media, with many fearing he could be murdered under suspicious circumstances.
MG/abj/APA