Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — The Ethiopian Media Authority has withdrawn the publishing licence of the Addis Standard news website, effective 24 February, after accusing the outlet of breaching media rules and “endangering national interests. ” An Authority communiqué posted on Facebook said Addis Standard had “repeatedly disseminated reports that violate media ethics, Ethiopian laws” despite repeated warnings.
The statement did not list specific articles but said the site’s coverage threatened “the country and its people.
” The regulator, whose board is appointed by the federal parliament, declared the outlet’s registration certificate “cancelled as of today. ” Addis Standard, founded in 2011, operates an online English-language edition that has reported extensively on conflict-hit Amhara and the volatile Tigray region.
The site’s X account counts roughly one million followers, making it one of the country’s most visible independent publications.
Local journalists contacted on Tuesday said the outlet’s newsroom in Addis Ababa was still accessible but staff had been told to suspend regular output while lawyers studied the order.
The company has yet to issue a public response. Government spokesperson Legesse Tulu did not reply to calls requesting clarification of the legal basis for the move.
The Ethiopian Media Authority said the decision is “final” and advised the public “to follow only licensed outlets. ” Addis Standard is the latest news organisation to face sanctions in the run-up to federal elections expected in June. Earlier this month the Authority declined to renew accreditation for three Ethiopian reporters working with the Reuters agency, and in December it suspended local contributors to Germany’s Deutsche Welle public broadcaster and declined to extend permits held by BBC correspondents.
Four freelance journalists arrested in 2023 remain on trial on terrorism charges that carry a possible death sentence; executions have been rare in recent decades. Reporters Without Borders ranks Ethiopia 145th out of 180 countries in its latest press-freedom index.
The group says the domestic media scene is “highly polarised” and notes that regulators often cite national-security clauses when penalising critical coverage.
Further details on possible appeal procedures or the outlet’s next steps were not immediately available.
