Freedom of the press and other mass media, and freedom of artistic creativity is guaranteed under article 29 of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) Constitution.
To give effect to this right, the Ethiopian media law prohibited pre-trial detention of any person suspected of having committed an alleged crime through the media.
Any person charged with committing an offense through the media by the public prosecutor shall be brought promptly before a court, without being remanded for further investigation pursuant to the provisions of Criminal Procedure Code. (Media Proclamation 1238/2021, Article 86(1))
This prohibition is a special protection to the press, the media, and the human right to freedom of expression.
