[3] Since 2009, he has worked as a journalist for various publications and at one point served as Managing Editor for Enqu, a prominent Ethiopian magazine.
He later became one of the founding members of Zone 9, a collective of bloggers sharing commentary about political repression and social injustice in Ethiopia.
Due to his activities as part of the Zone 9 group, Befekadu was arrested on April 25, 2014, and charged with terrorism.
They also accused him of collaborating with Ginbot 7, a banned political party that the government has labelled a terrorist organization.
Befekadu was re-arrested on November 10, 2016, after giving an interview for Voice of America's Amharic Service about Ethiopia's state of emergency.