TPLF Aksum Office Confirms Detention, Accuses the Media of Instigating Conflict; TBS Demands Immediate Release
Tigray Broadcasting Service Ltd. (TBS), an independent private media outlet operating in the Tigray Regional State of Ethiopia, announced at midday on Friday, June 6, 2025, that its media crew was arrested by police in Aksum earlier that morning. The team had travelled to the city to report on public grievances related to poor governance.
In a public statement on Facebook and its news hour, TBS demanded the immediate release of its staff and condemned what it called the “ongoing harassment” of its journalists by authorities in Tigray. The broadcaster warned that such actions represent a serious threat to press freedom, the public’s right to independent information and voice.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) office in Aksum confirmed the detention of the TBS TV media crew on Friday morning, claiming the journalists were present at a marketplace without an official letter from their media outlet requesting permission from the relevant authorities to carry out their duties.
Despite being legally banned from operating as a political party in Ethiopia, the TPLF continues to function as a de facto ruling party in the Tigray region. In its statement, the TPLF branch office in the city of Aksum made sweeping accusations against TBS TV, alleging that the station is working to destabilise Tigray. Specifically, it claimed that “the media sent the journalists to Aksum city to create chaos and violence” and vowed ”it would not stop defending the rule of law” [arresting journalists].
However, the branch office did not cite any specific news segment or program that allegedly caused unrest, nor did it mention any actual incident of conflict that it believes was triggered by the TV station’s work.
This response from the TPLF has raised serious concerns among observers, particularly regarding the legitimacy and mandate of the party’s local office to respond to media claims and urges or issue such accusations. Many are questioning how a political party can self-proclaim the role of spokesperson on matters of law and order, a responsibility typically reserved for government security and police officials.
It is also important to note that under Ethiopian media law, accredited media institutions are not required to present prior official letters or seek permission from local authorities or security personnel when conducting professional reporting duties.
The defamation, arrest and subsequent criminal framing of media institutions and their journalists performing their lawful work by the ruling party and its social media cadres sets a worrying precedent for press freedom in Tigray.
