Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – A rebuttal video produced by Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC)has cast doubt on the accuracy of an emotional report originally aired by EBS TV, featuring Birtukan Temesgen. The original segment, reposted by other YouTube channels, has faced scrutiny after EBC’s investigative counter-video presented evidence contradicting key claims made in the broadcast.
The EBS report has since been removed from YouTube.
The EBS feature depicted Birtukan in a harrowing narrative, which the EBC rebuttal video disputes, citing inconsistencies in her educational background, marital status, and personal history. Notably, the Ministry of Education refuted her televised claim of attending Dambi Dollo University, confirming instead that she studied at Hawassa University.
In the EBC rebuttal, Birtukan appears to retract parts of her earlier testimony. She clarifies that she married as a virgin and that her child was fathered by her husband, Simachew Shumet—not from rape, as previously suggested on EBS. At one point, in the counter-video, she appeals to Meaza Mohammed, to contact her husband for verification. During a recorded phone call with Meaza and Tesfaye Woldesilassie, Birtukan refers to Meaza as “my partner,” though the nature of their relationship—including possible ties to Fano—remains unclear.
Meaza Mohammed, who called herself an advocate for the students of Dambi Dollo University kidnapped while traveling home and who was previously rewarded by Secretary of State Antony Blinken for her journalism and advocacy, also plays a role in the discussions surrounding Birtukan’s case.
The controversy has fueled demands for accountability, with critics accusing EBS of spreading disinformation. Prominent activist Seyoum Teshome, host of the YouTube channel Nesta Wuyiyit (Free Discussion), released a three-part series condemning the report and calling for legal action against Meaza Mohammed that she should face terrorism charges. He further alleges that EBS CEO Amman Fissehazion holds pro-EPLF sympathies and that the outlet serves Eritrean interests under President Isaias Afwerki.
In an interview with EBC, EBS owner Aman Fissehazion issued a public apology and made startling admissions about the controversy. He acknowledged there had been “an inside job at EBS to misinform the public,” describing the actions as serious offenses that demand accountability. Aman specifically stated that the video released by his media outlet contained content capable of inciting ethnic violence among Ethiopians, a remarkable admission from the network’s leadership. These concessions have added significant weight to critics’ allegations about deliberate misinformation campaigns within the broadcaster.
Aman Fissehazion didn’t hold back—he called his own media’s segment a “three-month conspiracy,” and Birtukan herself backed that up, admitting she’d been working with EBS the entire time. Later, in EBC’s rebuttal documentary, she went even further, described her story as “fabricated” and “fiction”. But the real bombshell came from raw footage of EBS which purportedly reveals an EBS employee, Hilina, instructing Birtukan to use the specific word “raped” during her narration instead of a softer word. The documentary about Birtukan’s rape and suffering, along with her interview, was broadcast on EBS.
The Ministry of Education, alongside government officials, has joined calls for consequences against the network. Observers noted discrepancies between the televised segment and its since-deleted YouTube upload, with the latter allegedly edited to omit references to Dambi Dollo University.
The EBC counter-video urges scrutiny of EBS’s reporting, presenting witness testimonies and documents that frame Birtukan’s televised account as staged. As public skepticism grows, the incident raises broader concerns about media integrity amid Ethiopia’s polarized political climate, including tensions involving Fano and other rebel factions.
Golgul: Amharic Internet Newspaper
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