Ethiopian police have arrested without charge two editors of the leading independent Amharic weekly Ethio-Mihdar, according to local journalists. Police in the town of Legetafo, northeast of the capital Addis Ababa, on Monday arrested Getachew Worku in connection a story published in October alleging corruption in the town administration, according to Muluken Tesfaw, a reporter with the paper, who spoke to Getachew shortly after his arrest. Getachew has not been charged, he said. On Saturday, police arrested Million Degnew, the general manager of the newspaper, and Muna Ahmedin, a secretary, said Muluken and local journalists. Muna was released the same day but Million remains in custody without charge, Muluken said.

The Parliament resolution "on corruption in the public and private sectors: the impact on human rights in third countries(2013/2074(INI))" acknowledged that human rights defenders, media, civil society organisations (CSOs), trade unions and investigative journalists play a crucial role in the fight against corruption and thus called on the Commission to "propose an extension of the definition of human rights defenders in the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders to include anti-corruption activists, investigative journalists and, notably, whistleblowers".

Repeatedly detaining journalists without charge is an intimidation tactic commonly used by the Ethiopian government to silence dissent. Ethiopia trails only Eritrea as Africa's worst jailer of journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists' annual prison census. More than 75 publications have been forced to close under government pressure since 1993, CPJ research shows.

Will the High Representative/Vice-President:

- Urge the authorities to release Million Degnew and Getachew Worku immediately?

Has the EU Delegation:

- visited Million Degnew and Getachew Worku in prison?
- ensured that they have proper legal assistance?