human rights defender
HRD's Gender
Woman
Type of HRD
- Journalist/Blogger
HRD's thematic area of engagement
- Civil and political rights
- Other
- Women's rights
Current Status
Released on bail
HRD's bio and work
She used to be a journalist at government media houses, due to the challenges she faced, she resigned from position and currently advocating on different social issues. She is also a voice for women who have been killed and victims on her social media platforms.
Detained since
Jun 8, 2026
Date of release
Jun 20, 2026
Latitude: 9.041651188177287
Longitude: 38.751306643643176
Geolocation of detention
Country or area of detention
Region of detention
- Africa: Sub-Saharan Africa
Location of detention - City/Town
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Location of detention - Facility
Addis Ababa Police Commission | Piasa | የአዲስ አበባ ፖሊስ ኮሚሽን | ፒያሳ
Allegations / reports of ill-treatment
Physically, she is not injured; however, her constitutionally guaranteed rights have been violated, and she has experienced traumatic incidents.
Recent case update / evolution
She was arrested by the authorities while wearing an Addis Ababa police uniform and was detained at the Addis Ababa police station for 13 days without charge. She was also not brought before a court. Through her lawyer, she filed a petition alleging unlawful detention and a failure to produce her in court (habeas corpus) within 48 hours.
Before her detention, she shared her opinions regarding the mass killing and violations against Orthodox Christians in Oromia region, Aresi.
Although there is no officially opened case file against her, it is suspected that her detention was a result of her freedom of expression on her platforms.
Currently, she has been released on bail.
Any other relevant documents
https://cpj.org/2026/06/ethiopian-journalist-salsawit-baynesagn-detained-without-charge/
https://addisstandard.com/cpj-calls-for-release-of-journalist-salsawit-baynesagn-says-detention-without-charge-violates-due-process/
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