ADDIS ABABA, Sept 7 (Reuters) - At least 12 people, including four journalists and a senior think tank analyst, were barred on Monday from flying to Tigray, four of the passengers said, after Ethiopian security officials said the region's elections later this week were illegal.
Ethiopia’s upper house said on Saturday plans by the Tigray region to hold an election on Sept.9 for regional parliament and other positions were unconstitutional, setting up a potential clash between the central government and the powerful Tigray People’s Liberation Front.
Those barred from the flight also had their phones and laptops confiscated, one of the passengers said.Elias Mehari, a 35 year-old businessman was heading home to Tigray regional capital Mekelle to see his wife and son when two plain clothed security agents prevented him from boarding his flight in Addis Ababa on Monday.
“We were heading to Tigray to cover the elections, but security officers stopped us at the gate, took our IDs and we were prevented from boarding,” he told Reuters.
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