Eskinder Nega

Career Eskinder returned to Ethiopia in 1991 after the Marxist Derg was ousted by EPRDF forces. In fact he became one of the adversaries to the regime in the years to come He founded his first newspaper, Ethiopis, in 1993. Following the conviction, Nega's license to practice journalism was revoked In 2013, a UN panel found Eskinder Nega's jailing a violation of international law.

After delaying a decision on seven occasions, the Federal Supreme Court upheld Eskinder's 18-year sentence on 1 May 2013. On 24 July 2013, Eskinder's "Letter from Ethiopia's Gulag" was published as a New York Times op-ed.

2018–2020: Release, further arrests and release again In January 2018, the prison holding Eskinder Nega was announced to be shut down, with political prisoners freed in order to "foster national reconciliation". He was only allowed freedom if he signed a confession saying that he was a member of the Ginbot 7 group designated terrorists by the federal government; but Eskinder refused, saying that it was a false confession. Eskinder Nega was freed on 14 February 2018, along with several other political prisoners. He then launched Ethiopis, a weekly Amharic newspaper.

On the evening of 25 March 2018, the Ethiopian Security Forces have re-arrested Eskinder and other journalists and politicians at a social event outside the capital, Addis Ababa. Eskinder was accused of displaying a prohibited national flag and gathering in violation of an official state of emergency but was later released without a charge on the evening of 5 April after spending twelve days of unwarranted, inhumane imprisonment.

In September 2019, Eskinder Nega founded Balderas for True Democracy Party.

On 25 April 2020, Eskinder was once again arrested by Addis Ababa Police on grounds that are yet to be specified but released the same day. On 30 June 2020, he was arrested again during the Hachalu Hundessa riots for inciting violence and chaos.

On 7 January 2022, during Orthodox Christmas, Eskinder Nega has been freed after one and half year in prison.

2023–present: Leading Fano insurgency Nega is currently the leader of the Amhara People's Army faction of the Fano insurgency which is fighting against the government in the Amhara region. During the summer of 2024, an attempt to integrate Fano forces under a single leadership was made and Nega was named head of the organization. However his leadership was rejected by several factions within Fano, and as of August 2024 no unified leadership had been established for the group.

Awards and honors 2012 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award 2014 World Association of Newspapers' Golden Pen of Freedom Award 2017 International Press Institute World Press Freedom Hero 2018 Oxfam Novib/PEN Award