By Francesca Hangeior
A French journalist has been arrested and detained in Ethiopia since February 22 on suspicion of conspiring “to create chaos” in the country, his employer announced on Monday.
Antoine Galindo had travelled to Ethiopia to cover the African Union summit earlier this month for the specialist publication Africa Intelligence.
Following his arrest on Thursday, he was brought before a judge on Saturday, who ordered his detention be extended until March 1, Africa Intelligence said, condemning the “unjustified arrest”.
“These spurious accusations are not based on any tangible evidence that might justify this extended deprivation of liberty,” it said, pointing out that Galindo had informed the Ethiopian authorities of his assignment and had a visa authorising him to work there as a journalist.
The 36-year-old journalist, who heads the publication’s East Africa section, lived in Ethiopia between 2013 and 2017 and was “known to the Ethiopia Media Authority”, which oversees media accreditations in the country.
According to a source close to the case who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, Galindo was arrested on Thursday afternoon at a hotel in Addis Ababa while meeting an official from the opposition Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) party.
He has since been held at a police station in Ethiopia’s capital, the publication said, calling for his immediate release.
Meanwhile, the Ethiopian authorities are yet to respond to the development.