By Ebi Kesiena
Ethiopian authorities have rearrested former State Minister for Peace, Taye Dendea, months after his release on bail, his wife confirmed on Tuesday.
Sentayehu Alemayehu said Dendea was taken into custody on Monday around 4 p.m. local time, after ten police officers arrived at their residence and informed him he was needed for questioning.
Dendea was first arrested in December 2023, shortly after publicly criticising Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, labelling him a “ruthless man who plays with the blood of innocent humans,” and condemning the government’s failure to reach a peace deal with the Oromo Liberation Army.
He was granted bail in December 2024 by the Federal Appeal Court, which ordered his release on 20,000 birr, pending trial over a firearms charge. At the time, Ethiopia’s Supreme Court had rejected his bail request, and two major charges collaboration with anti-government groups and incitement to violence via social media were dismissed by a Federal High Court judge.
However, on Tuesday, Dendea appeared in court again, where prosecutors reinstated the previously dropped charges, including allegations of inciting violence, supporting anti-peace forces, and involvement in a plot to overthrow the government. The revived charges now form part of a broader case against him, alongside the original accusation of violating firearms regulations.
Meanwhile, Dendea’s rearrest has drawn renewed attention to Ethiopia’s shrinking political space and ongoing tensions between the federal government and opposition voices, particularly in the Oromo region. His case continues to stir controversy, especially amid broader concerns about political repression and the state of civil liberties in the country.
