The Addis Ababa City Court of Appeal today, June 11, 2025, upheld the bail granted to Tesfalem Waldyes, founder and editor-in-chief of the “Ethiopia Insider” online media outlet. However, Tesfalem Waldyes has not been released as of the time of this statement, as the investigating police decided to appeal to the appeals court. The Addis Ababa City Court of First Instance, Kirkos Division, had previously ordered Tesfalem Waldyes to be released on bail of 15,000 birr on June 10, 2025.
Tesfalem Waldyes was not released on Tuesday after the bail amount was paid, as the order issued by the Addis Ababa City First Instance Court, Kirkos Division, was not signed by the relevant police officer. However, the appeal filed by the investigating police against the bail decision was rejected by the court today.
The Addis Ababa City Court of Appeals issued an order to the Kirkos Police Department, stating that “we have not found any reason to criticize the decision of the lower court that was appealed,” and “we have not accepted the appeal.” The court also ordered the Kirkos Police Department to “release Tesfalem Waldyes from detention upon fulfilling his obligations under the lower court’s bail.”
However, the police did not accept the decision of the Court of Appeal. The Chief Inspector of the Kirkos Police Department responded to the letter ordering Tesfalem’s release by saying, “Keep it with you, and we will appeal the decision.” Although the police appeal was filed at the Addis Ababa Cassation Court, the hearing has not been scheduled for today.
Therefore, the case has been postponed to tomorrow, Thursday, June 12, 2025. It is expected that the Addis Ababa Cassation Court will issue a decision on the appeal filed by the investigators.
Journalist Tesfalem Waldyes has spent the past three nights in police custody.
Tesfalem’s arrest has placed significant pressure on the reporting work of “Ethiopia Insider”, as well as on his colleagues and friends. Our organization, Haq Media and Communication, once again strongly calls for the immediate release of Tesfalem Waldyes so he can return to his work. Furthermore, we will share any information received from the police and court with our audiences until the case is resolved.
