TAKE ACTION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

ARTIST’S DISAPPERANCE MUST BE INVESTIGATED

Ethiopia UA 85.26

Ethiopian human rights defender, photographer, and videographer, Filmon Gebrehiwot Hagos (33), has not been seen since August 10, 2025. On the same day, his family filed a complaint at the local police station and later at the General Sub-City Police Station, but over one year on, and the authorities have yet to publicly announce any investigations initiated or underway into his disappearance.

Call on the Ethiopian authorities to urgently carry out an effective, independent, thorough, and transparent investigation into the enforced disappearance of Filmon Gebrehiwot Hagos and immediately reveal his fate and whereabouts - send your message to the Ethiopian Embassy using our email writing tool.

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Ethiopian Ambassador

Binalf Andualem

Ashenef

Ethiopian Embassy

Dear Debretsion Gebremichael,

I am concerned about the enforced disappearance of human rights defender Filmon Gebrehiwot Hagos who appears to have been targeted for his human rights work.

Filmon Gebrehiwot Hagos is a photographer, videographer, and owner of Filari Film Production (Filari) in Tigray, Ethiopia’s capital. On August 10, 2025, he disappeared from Adihawusi, Mekelle, Tigray on his way home from work traveling on a bajaja taxi. His wife called him when he did not arrive home and his phone rang several times but was ultimately unreachable. There have been no confirmed sightings of him since. His fate and whereabouts remain unknown, raising serious concerns that he has been subjected to enforced disappearance.

No official explanation has been provided by the authorities about who may be responsible for his disappearance or where Filmon Gebrehiwot Hagos may be held if in custody. However, there are concerns that he may have been targeted in connection with his work which involved documenting the impact of the Tigray conflict between 2020-2022 including human rights violations.

These enforced disappearances constitute a clear infringement upon their entitlement to freedom of expression and press freedom, as a safeguarded by both regional and international human rights conventions, of which Ethiopia is a state party to.

I call on you to take all necessary steps to ensure an effective, independent, thorough, and transparent investigation is immediately carried out into the enforced disappearance of Filmon Gebrehiwot Hagos. If he is in custody of the Tigrayan authorities, I urge you to ensure that his whereabouts are immediately disclosed and that he is released immediately and unconditionally.

Yours sincerely,

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