This archive report was first published on 5 August 2020.
On August 5, 2020, a Kenyan journalist received a glimmer of hope in a far-off land. Yassin Juma, a former NTV journalist, was released from an Ethiopian jail on bail.
According to reports, an Ethiopian court ordered Juma's release from the Sostegna Police Station, where he had been detained alongside three other individuals, including Ethiopia's Oromia Media Network (OMN) journalist Melese Diribsa.
The court's decision came after police failed to present evidence to prove Juma's involvement in the crimes he was accused of, including incitement, involvement in violence, plotting to create ethnic violence, and plotting to kill senior Ethiopian officials.
These charges were levelled against Juma and several opposition politicians following the protests that erupted in the Oromia region after the killing of Oromo musician Hachalu Hundessa.
At least 239 people lost their lives during the week-long protests, and over 3,500 were arrested.
