Ethiopian authorities are resorting once again to the authoritarian playbook.

On February 24, three months ahead of scheduled national elections, Ethiopia's Media Authority announced the revocation of the Addis Standard's operating license. The action risks silencing one of the last independent media outlets in the country.

Since its establishment in 2011, the Addis Standard has been a prominent independent voice in an increasingly repressive media environment, offering critical in-depth reporting on often sensitive issues. The government has repeatedly harassed the outlet and its staff. Authorities arrested an editor in November 2020, briefly suspended the magazine during the armed conflict in Tigray, and in April 2025 raided its offices and detained three staff members.

The Media Authority claimed that the outlet had repeatedly disseminated reports in violation of the country's laws and media ethics and endangered national interests, but did not cite specific violations.

Yonas Kedir, the editor-in-chief, rejected the allegations, saying that the Media Authority "never formally notified the Addis Standard newsroom of any prior violations or enforcement actions." He said that the publisher was "reviewing legal options to protect its rights."

Since 2025, government efforts to muzzle independent media have only escalated. Ethiopian security forces have arbitrarily arrested several journalists and other media professionals reporting on important issues, while the Media Authority has revoked licenses of journalists and outlets.

In December, the government permanently suspended two Deutsche Welle journalists covering the war-torn Amhara and Tigray regions. In January, the Media Authority revoked the license of Wazema Radio, accusing it of ethics violations and working against national interests. On February 14, Reuters reported that the Media Authority "declined" to renew the accreditation of three of its journalists following its report that the Ethiopian government was hosting a secret camp to train fighters for the abusive Rapid Support Forces in Sudan.

As the country heads to the polls, and with renewed hostilities threatened in northern Ethiopia, a free, independent media is critically important. The government's latest shutdowns shatter any remaining pretense that it is willing to allow the free flow of information. Ethiopia's partners should speak out against these outrages if they want to reverse the country's troubling direction.

Source: Human Rights Watch