Ethiopian police arrest Reuters cameraman

Ethiopian police have arrested a Reuters cameraman at his home in Addis Ababa last week and have kept him in custody without charge, the international news agency said while condemning the arrest that came two weeks after the beating of its photographer by Ethiopian police.

Kumerra Gemechu, 40, was handcuffed and taken away in front of his family last Thursday by 10 armed federal police officers who did not give a reason for his arrest, Reuters said in a statement on Monday.

Kumerra is part of a Reuters team that reports from Ethiopia in a fair, independent and unbiased way. Kumerra’s work demonstrates his professionalism and impartiality, and we are aware of no basis for his detention,” Stephen Adler, editor in chief of the news agency, said in the statement.

“Journalists must be allowed to report the news in the public interest without fear of harassment or harm, wherever they are. We will not rest until Kumerra is freed.

At a brief court hearing on Friday, where no lawyer was present, a judge ordered Kumerra’s detention for a further 14 days to give police time to investigate, Reuters cited his family as saying.

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Source: Aljazeera