Ethiopia is witnessing a dangerous escalation of human rights abuses in the Amhara region, where hundreds of civilians, including academics, have been arbitrarily detained without due process. Since September 28, 2024, large-scale arrests have swept through the region’s main towns, with the Ethiopian army and police conducting detentions without search or arrest warrants, according to alarming eyewitness reports. This blatant violation of legal procedures is further eroding Ethiopia’s already fragile rule of law.

Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, voiced deep concern over the deteriorating situation:

“The ongoing mass detentions in the Amhara region underscore the Ethiopian government’s flagrant disregard for the rule of law. Authorities are operating with impunity, arresting civilians from pre-prepared lists and ignoring legal requirements such as obtaining warrants. Many detained have not been presented in court within the 48-hour timeframe required by the country’s laws and constitution.”

The mass detentions are part of a broader pattern of harassment, repression, and attacks on human rights defenders and journalists across Ethiopia. This crackdown has forced numerous critical voices into exile, severely weakening independent reporting and documentation of human rights violations, particularly in conflict-affected areas like Amhara.

The recent wave of arrests has also targeted the academic community, with university staff among those detained. Witnesses revealed that some arrests took place at night, involving military personnel, further heightening fears of government repression.

These actions represent an urgent crisis, as Ethiopia’s rule of law continues to crumble under the weight of government crackdowns. Freedom of expression is being stifled, and the continued use of arbitrary detentions risks plunging the Amhara region—and the country—into deeper instability.

The world must act now to pressure Ethiopian authorities to end this unlawful campaign of repression before the situation worsens further.

Read Amnesty international’s report on renewed: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/10/ethiopia-mass-arbitrary-detentions-in-amhara-region-deepen-erosion-of-rule-of-law/