He said they were involved in planning attacks on infrastructure, telecommunications and power lines. Shimeles said two other suspects are members of an opposition party. Shimeles said the suspects were supported by Ethiopia's archenemy Eritrea and by an international terrorist group, which he did not name.

International media rights groups have been calling for the release of Reeyot Alemu, a columnist for the independent weekly Feteh, and Woubshet Taye, deputy editor-in-chief of the weekly Awramba Times newspaper.