The Sudanese Journalists’ Syndicate has demanded the immediate release of its council member Haitham Osman, who was detained alongside two other people in Ethiopia, calling on authorities to disclose their whereabouts and explain the reasons for their arrest.
In an urgent statement issued on Tuesday, the syndicate said Ethiopian authorities arrested Osman and his two companions on Friday, September 25, on a street near their residence in the capital, Addis Ababa, before taking them to an undisclosed location.
The union said it had received no information about the grounds for their detention or where they were being held, raising serious concerns about their safety and legal rights.
It urged Ethiopian authorities to allow Osman to communicate with his family and legal representatives, guarantee his safety and assume full responsibility for his well-being while in custody.
Osman, a Sudanese journalist who fled the war in his homeland and sought refuge in Ethiopia, had not committed any offence warranting his arrest, according to the syndicate.
The union also called on the Sudanese embassy in Addis Ababa to intervene immediately, secure his release and ensure that he receives appropriate legal protection.
It appealed to international press freedom organisations, human rights groups and regional and international institutions to press Ethiopian authorities to release Osman and his companions and prevent journalists from being subjected to arbitrary detention.
The syndicate reminded Ethiopia of its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, particularly Article 19, which protects freedom of opinion and expression.
It also cited Article 29 of Ethiopia’s 1995 constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression and the press, arguing that the detention of journalists without publicly disclosed reasons violates fundamental rights and press freedoms.
The union called for urgent international solidarity and intervention to establish the detainees’ whereabouts, secure their release and ensure their safety.
