Monday, December 16, 2013

Ethiopia: A lifeline to the world Eskeder Nega | Amnesty International


Eskinder Nega was jailed in 2012 for “terrorism” after criticizing the government and supporting free speech.
Eskinder Nega was jailed in 2012 for “terrorism” after criticizing the government and supporting free speech.
© Amnesty International

At a Glance

Serkalem Fasil, baby son Nafkot and husband Eskinder Nega, who was imprisoned in 2012.
© Private
Eskinder is one of the most virtuous people I know in my country. He really believes in the good in all of us. It’s vivid in his personal life and in his activism. The love he has for his country, his dedication to seeing people living a dignified life – it’s really huge.
Birtukan Mideksa, a former prisoner of conscience in Ethiopia
Birtukan Mideksa spent years in an Ethiopian prison, and was featured in Write for Rights 2009 as a prisoner of conscience. She told Amnesty International what global support meant to her, and how the power of letter writing can be harnessed again this year to help her good friend, Eskinder Nega.
Birtukan Mideksa speaks to us from her desk in Boston, USA, amid the bustle of student life. A Harvard fellow, she is taking an MA in Public Administration at Kennedy School and is a thriving academic.
It’s a far cry from the Ethiopian prison cell she occupied only a few years ago – a place her friend, Eskinder Nega, knows only too well. He is currently serving an 18-year sentence because of his journalism.
In fact, the two were detained together between 2005 and 2007, alongside Eskinder’s wife Serkalem. All three were declared prisoners of conscience. They have also featured in Amnesty’s Write for Rights campaign - Serkalem in 2006, Birtukan in 2009, and this year, Eskinder, because he’s in prison again.
“I was incarcerated twice. The first time, for 18 months, the second, 21 months,” recalls Birtukan. “Look at how many times Eskinder has been imprisoned over the past 10 years – eight times. His wife, Serkalem, was also incarcerated. This is a story of thousands and millions of government opponents in Ethiopia. If you look at the pattern, it’s getting worse.”
The toughest time in prison
In 2005, Birtukan was leader of Ethiopia’s main opposition party, Unity for Democracy and Justice. Her party contested the elections that year, but lost under questionable circumstances. When she and her supporters peacefully protested against the legitimacy of the election results, thousands were arrested. Birtukan, Eskinder, Serkalem and over 100 journalists, opposition leaders and others were put on trial.
“The whole time was very difficult, especially for Serkalem,” says Birtukan, who shared a cell with her at one point. “She was pregnant and she had to live with 70 to 80 prisoners in a very unclean cell. The smell was terrible.
“When she finally had her baby, that was one of the times I really felt low. She went to the hospital and… came back alone. She had to leave the little one with her mum. My daughter was with my mum – she was eight months old. So we consoled each other. Our major difficulties came because of our responsibilities as mothers, and our attachment to our children. That was really the toughest time in prison.”
Silver lining
Birtukan was given a life sentence, but was eventually pardoned and released after nearly 18 months in detention. Her freedom, however, was short-lived. After speaking publicly in Sweden in November 2008 about the process that had led to her release, she was re-arrested in Ethiopia on 28 December 2008. Her pardon was revoked and her life sentence re-imposed.
Amnesty International issued Urgent Actions on her behalf and promoted her case in Write for Rights 2009. For Birtukan, who was kept in solitary confinement for long periods, this collective effort was a lifeline.
“In 2009, only my mum and my daughter were allowed to visit me,” says Birtukan. “I was really cut off from the whole world. I didn’t have any access to the media. We were not allowed to talk about Amnesty International’s initiatives, but my mum mentioned to me that Amnesty people were trying to advocate for me. That was like a silver lining. It gave me hope. It connected me to the real world.”
Birtukan was finally freed in October 2010. “The pressure you guys were exerting on the Ethiopian government was very instrumental in securing my release,” says Birtukan.

She hopes it will be possible to do this again, this time for Eskinder.
Sustained optimism
In 2012, Eskinder was jailed for “terrorism” after giving speeches and writing articles criticizing the government and supporting free speech. To Birtukan, his struggle is almost heroic.
“Eskinder is one of the most virtuous people I know in my country,” she says. “He really believes in the good in all of us. It’s vivid in his personal life and in his activism. The love he has for his country, his dedication to seeing people living a dignified life – it’s really huge.
“He didn’t start his activism with just criticizing the government. He always gave them the benefit of the doubt. He was relentlessly committed to expressing his views, his ideas.”
That commitment triggered a campaign of harassment, including threats, a ban on the newspaper Eskinder ran with Serkalem, and repeated imprisonment. In 2005, when all three were jailed, Eskinder was thrown into solitary confinement for months on end. “That didn’t make him a hateful person,” observes Birtukan. “Still, he sustained his optimism and strong belief in his cause.”
Indispensible support
With its network of supporters worldwide, Amnesty’s potential to secure Eskinder’s freedom is significant, notes Birtukan. “The support we get as political prisoners is indispensible.”
But, she adds, “We shouldn’t forget the people back home – they would love to support us – but the suppression is huge. People can’t express that kind of protest against our imprisonment in an organized way.” This makes Amnesty International's support all the more crucial, she says.
It also lends legitimacy to the struggle. “Some people say fighting for rights and democracy in Africa is futile,” explains Birtukan. “Some people even try to focus on the economic performance of a country. But we mustn’t trade off our human rights for monetary benefit.
“The things you are working on – they validate and reassert those aspirations and those rights we have as human beings as inviolable, no matter what. It has huge significance in terms of the moral support you generate for activists like Eskinder and myself.”

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Ethiopian Journalist Critical of Government Serving 18-Year Sentence

Local journalists critical of the government can fall prey to an “anti-terrorism” law that if “violated,” can mean imprisonment in harsh conditions.
    Free Ethiopian Political Prisoners 5k Walk in Washington, D.C., September 2006.(Photo/Elvert Barnes via Flickr)
    Free Ethiopian Political Prisoners 5k Walk in Washington, D.C., September 2006.(Photo/Elvert Barnes via Flickr)
    Ethiopia is one of the most difficult countries in the world to work as a journalist. It has consistently been ranked among the highest oppressors of press freedoms by international organizations such asReporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists.  According to CPJ, Ethiopia currently has the second most number of jailed journalists (6) on the African continent (with neighboring Eritrea being number one [28]), and it is ranked eighth in the world for imprisoning journalists.
    The problem became grave just before and after the 2005 elections, when nearly 200 people weregunned down by Ethiopian forces during violent protests. Several prominent local journalists were blamed for the unrest, which the government claimed was fomented by much of the press.
    Since then, several international journalists have been arrested and detained for varying lengths of time, including New York Times East Africa Bureau Chief Jeffrey Gettleman, two freelance Swedish journalists – Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson, and many more. Local journalists who have been critical of the government have been caught in the dragnet of an “anti-terrorism” law passed in 2009 that is disguised as a way to control in-country media, and if “violated,” can mean imprisonment in harsh conditions.
    One such journalist, Eskinder Nega, jailed for two years so far on trumped up terrorism charges, is serving an 18-year sentence.  The government claims he was not jailed for being critical of the government, but for running a terrorist organization.  On Wednesday Amnesty International issued an appeal to renew awareness for Nega’s release.
    According to Amnesty’s report, Nega “was charged in 2011 after giving speeches and writing articles criticizing the government and supporting free speech. He is a prisoner of conscience.”
    The report goes on to state that Nega “has long been a thorn in the side of the Ethiopian authorities. He has previously been harassed, arrested and prosecuted a number of times for his writing. Between 2006 and 2007, Eskinder and his wife, Serkalem Fasil, were detained and tried on treason and other charges along with 129 other journalists, opposition politicians and activists. Serkalem gave birth to their son Nafkot while in prison.”
    Since his imprisonment, international media attention has been placed on his plight. He was alsoawarded the prestigious PEN America award in 2012, with his wife receiving the honor in his absence. He also wrote an op-ed in The New York Times from jail entitled, “Letter from Ethiopia’s Gulag,” where he detailed Kaliti Prison’s dirty floors and a trio of toilets for roughly 1,000 inmates. He also urged the U.S. to act on his behalf. His wife lives there in exile.
    The White House won’t act, ostensibly, because Ethiopia is a close ally in the war on terror in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia also plays permanent host to the African Union, the continent’s equivalent of the European Union. Because of the AU, the U.S. has a dual diplomatic mission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, one for the pan-African congress and the other for the Ethiopian government itself, both playing very different and separate roles.
    Billions of dollars of aid are funneled into Ethiopia every year, too, and the nation has the second-highest population and one of the most powerful militaries as well on the continent.
    But the pleas to free Nega have fallen on deaf ears. Meles Zenawi, the long-time Ethiopian prime minister and once rebel leader who ironically freed the nation from the brutal Derg regime of the 1970s and 1980s, died in 2012. It was under his tenure that the anti-terror law was passed and the new leaders don’t seem in any rush to make any changes.
    For now, Nega languishes in Kaliti Prison.
    According to the Amnesty report, in May 2013, Nega issued a note from prison, saying, “I will live to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It may or may not be a long wait. Whichever way events may go, I shall persevere!

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    Tuesday, November 19, 2013

    Ethiopian Government Implored to Free Imprisoned Journalists | East Africa News



    dia organizations have lodged a joint appeal with the Ethiopian government for the unconditional release of imprisoned Ethiopian journalists.
    The appeal by the two leading international media organizations, International Press Institute (IPI) and World Association of Newspapers and News publishers (WAN-IFRA), urged the government to release five journalists imprisoned under the country’s anti-terrorism laws, and to immediately review statutes that have been used to convict opposition politicians.
    IPI’s and WAN-IFRA’s joint appeal capped four days of discussion and deliberation with journalists, lawyers, media executives and members of the Ethiopian government and the African Union ahead of the African Media Leaders Forum(AMLF), which was held earlier in November.
    Alison Bethel McKenzie, the executive director of IPI said “Article 29 of Ethiopia’s constitution defends the right to free expression and exchange of information and we urge the government to make sure that it upholds these rights”.
    Commending the Ethiopian government’s efforts towards improving the lives of its people, McKenzie reiterated IPI’s firm stand on the belief that a free press will not only contribute to these efforts, but are also crucial to economic development and building a democratic society. She implored the government to prove its commitment to defend press freedom by releasing the jailed  journalists. Adding that IPI and WAN-IFRA are committed to helping improve the professionalism, quality and independence of journalism in Ethiopia.
    WAN-IFRA’s President Tomas Brunegard noted that both “organizations would like to see independent publishers cooperate to develop a strong publishers association that promotes self regulation and works together to create a vibrant and sustainable press.”
    The IPI and WAN-IFRA team met with more than 25 editors, journalists, lawyers, politicians and bloggers as well as associates of the imprisoned journalists. The delegation also held meetings with the ambassadors of Austria and United States; a senior African Union official; an Ethiopian lawmaker; and Redwan Hussien, Minister, Government Communication Affairs Office, who engaged in a frank, two-hour discussion with IPI and the members of the African Media Initiative.
    Representatives of the IPI and WAN-IFRA expressed hope that the meeting with Hussein is the beginning of constructive dialogue on critical press freedom issues in Ethiopia.
    Regrettably, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn’s office did not respond to repeated requests for a meeting. But in an address before delegates of the AMLF, Desalegn said his government has plans to increase the capacity of all elements of the media and is encouraging the media to establish its own self-regulatory mechanisms.
    “There is always room for improvement and as a developing country, we are open to suggestions on improving our media industry,” said Desalegn, making no mention of the jailed journalists.
    IPI/WAN-IFRA are reported to have been denied access to the imprisoned journalists.
    The two organisations are expected to produce a comprehensive mission report in the coming weeks. In its preliminary recommendations, they called for:
    • The Ethiopian government to release all journalists convicted under the sedition provisions of the country’s 2009 anti-terrorism laws. These journalists include Solomon Kebede, Wubset Taye, Reyot Alemu, Eskinder Nega and Yusuf Getachew.
    • Ethiopia’s often-fragmented and partisan newspapers to step up cooperation to improve professionalism and independence, and to form a unified front to defend press freedom.
    • Publishers and editors to also increase cooperation to reduce expenses, including joint investment in media training, distribution and infrastructure. Such cooperation would foster a freer and more conducive environment for competition in news gathering and reporting.
    In addition, IPI and WAN-IFRA agreed to help improve the quality of political reporting ahead of scheduled parliamentary elections in 2015 and urged donor organisations to follow suit. While the IPI/WAN-IFRA representatives agree there is a broad commitment among journalists to electoral coverage based on sound, in-depth reporting, there are concerns about the level of professionalism.
    Photo: Members of the IPI / WAN-IFRA joint press freedom mission to Ethiopia meet on Nov. 6th with Ambassador Jean- Baptiste Natama, chief-of-staff to the African Union’s Chairperson. (From left) Alison Meston, Kabiru Yusuf, Alison Bethel McKenzie, Tomas Brunegård, Ambassador Natama, and Ferial Haffajee. (IPI photo)

    Ethiopian Government Implored to Free Imprisoned Journalists | East Africa News



    dia organizations have lodged a joint appeal with the Ethiopian government for the unconditional release of imprisoned Ethiopian journalists.
    The appeal by the two leading international media organizations, International Press Institute (IPI) and World Association of Newspapers and News publishers (WAN-IFRA), urged the government to release five journalists imprisoned under the country’s anti-terrorism laws, and to immediately review statutes that have been used to convict opposition politicians.
    IPI’s and WAN-IFRA’s joint appeal capped four days of discussion and deliberation with journalists, lawyers, media executives and members of the Ethiopian government and the African Union ahead of the African Media Leaders Forum(AMLF), which was held earlier in November.
    Alison Bethel McKenzie, the executive director of IPI said “Article 29 of Ethiopia’s constitution defends the right to free expression and exchange of information and we urge the government to make sure that it upholds these rights”.
    Commending the Ethiopian government’s efforts towards improving the lives of its people, McKenzie reiterated IPI’s firm stand on the belief that a free press will not only contribute to these efforts, but are also crucial to economic development and building a democratic society. She implored the government to prove its commitment to defend press freedom by releasing the jailed  journalists. Adding that IPI and WAN-IFRA are committed to helping improve the professionalism, quality and independence of journalism in Ethiopia.
    WAN-IFRA’s President Tomas Brunegard noted that both “organizations would like to see independent publishers cooperate to develop a strong publishers association that promotes self regulation and works together to create a vibrant and sustainable press.”
    The IPI and WAN-IFRA team met with more than 25 editors, journalists, lawyers, politicians and bloggers as well as associates of the imprisoned journalists. The delegation also held meetings with the ambassadors of Austria and United States; a senior African Union official; an Ethiopian lawmaker; and Redwan Hussien, Minister, Government Communication Affairs Office, who engaged in a frank, two-hour discussion with IPI and the members of the African Media Initiative.
    Representatives of the IPI and WAN-IFRA expressed hope that the meeting with Hussein is the beginning of constructive dialogue on critical press freedom issues in Ethiopia.
    Regrettably, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn’s office did not respond to repeated requests for a meeting. But in an address before delegates of the AMLF, Desalegn said his government has plans to increase the capacity of all elements of the media and is encouraging the media to establish its own self-regulatory mechanisms.
    “There is always room for improvement and as a developing country, we are open to suggestions on improving our media industry,” said Desalegn, making no mention of the jailed journalists.
    IPI/WAN-IFRA are reported to have been denied access to the imprisoned journalists.
    The two organisations are expected to produce a comprehensive mission report in the coming weeks. In its preliminary recommendations, they called for:
    • The Ethiopian government to release all journalists convicted under the sedition provisions of the country’s 2009 anti-terrorism laws. These journalists include Solomon Kebede, Wubset Taye, Reyot Alemu, Eskinder Nega and Yusuf Getachew.
    • Ethiopia’s often-fragmented and partisan newspapers to step up cooperation to improve professionalism and independence, and to form a unified front to defend press freedom.
    • Publishers and editors to also increase cooperation to reduce expenses, including joint investment in media training, distribution and infrastructure. Such cooperation would foster a freer and more conducive environment for competition in news gathering and reporting.
    In addition, IPI and WAN-IFRA agreed to help improve the quality of political reporting ahead of scheduled parliamentary elections in 2015 and urged donor organisations to follow suit. While the IPI/WAN-IFRA representatives agree there is a broad commitment among journalists to electoral coverage based on sound, in-depth reporting, there are concerns about the level of professionalism.
    Photo: Members of the IPI / WAN-IFRA joint press freedom mission to Ethiopia meet on Nov. 6th with Ambassador Jean- Baptiste Natama, chief-of-staff to the African Union’s Chairperson. (From left) Alison Meston, Kabiru Yusuf, Alison Bethel McKenzie, Tomas Brunegård, Ambassador Natama, and Ferial Haffajee. (IPI photo)

    Monday, November 11, 2013

    Ethiopia: Editor Illegally Arrested and Removed From Addis

    Reporters Without Borders is alarmed by newspaper editor Melaku Desmisse's illegal arrest in Addis Ababa by police from the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Regional State (SNNPR) and his subsequent illegal transfer to Awasa, the capital city of the SNNPR.
    The editor of the Amharic-language version of the independent big-circulation weekly The Reporter, Desmisse was arrested for unclear reasons in his office on 9 October, taken to a police station in the Addis Ababa suburb of Bole, and from there was taken more than 250 km south of Addis Ababa to Awasa.
    "The Ethiopian government reminds the media of the law so often that it is incomprehensible that it is allowing the police and judicial authorities to flout the law in such a blatant fashion," Reporters Without Borders said. "The SNNPR police have no jurisdiction in Addis Ababa and it is completely illegal for them to seize a journalist working there.
    "If Desmisse is accused of breaking any law, he should be brought before a federal court in Addis Ababa, which alone has the authority to try him. In the meantime, we call for the immediate release of this journalist, especially as the reason for his arrest remains puzzling."
    Desmisse's arrest may be linked to the publication of an article on 4 September wrongly reporting the dismissal of three SNNPR's vice-presidents. The newspaper retracted the story and officially apologised on 8 September. No one has been able to contact Desmisse since his arrest and he is reportedly being interrogated by the SNNPR police.
    Owned by Media Communication Centre, the English and Amharic-language versions of The Reporter together constitute Ethiopia's leading independent newspaper, one that is often the target of intimidation.
    The newspaper's Amharic-language website, which gets up to 30,000 visitors a day, was blocked in April 2012.
    The Reporter editor in chief Amare Aregawi was illegally arrested and transferred outside Addis Ababa in August 2008. A few months after his release on bail, he sustained a serious head injury when attacked by unidentified individuals.
    Ranked 137th out of 179 countries in the Reporters Without Borders press freedom index, Ethiopia remains a very dangerous country for journalists.

    Saturday, October 19, 2013

    Ethiopian Jailed Journalist Honoured

    Journalists and media owners across Africa have honored a jailed Ethiopian journalist, Woubshet Taye. In a statement extended to the Sudan Tribune on Wednesday, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said Woubshet Taye was honored during the African Journalist Awards 2013.
    The journalists' wife and son received the award on his behalf at a ceremony held on Saturday in Cape Town, South Africa. Comprising a panel of 10 independent judges, the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards was launched in 1995 and has since been held yearly honouring journalists in recognition of their contribution to a free press in Africa despite the risks they face.
    Woubshet, deputy editor of the Awramba Times, was detained in June 2011 on terror charges. He is currently serving 14 year jail term after he was found guilty in January 2012 under Ethiopia's controversial anti-terrorism law.
    Following his arrest the paper's editor fled into exile and the privately run paper was banned from publishing. Similarly, prominent Journalists Reeyot Alemu and Eskinder Nega are serving a 5 and 18 year jail terms respectively on terrorism related charges.
    "Journalists like Woubshet Taye and his colleagues Reeyot Alemu and Eskinder Nega should be out of prison and working to build the prosperity and the freedom of a new Ethiopia" explained judges at the journalism award adding " This award is in recognition of Wubshet's work and in solidarity with his condition"
    According to CPJ sources, Woubshet's application for a presidential pardon was rejected in September.
    After receiving the Award, his wife, Berhane Tesfaye, said "her husband was grateful for the solidarity and received the award in the name of all journalists who are oppressed"
    JOURNALIST BRIEFLY DETAINED
    Meanwhile a newspaper editor for the independent weekly, The Reporter, Melaku Demisse, was last week arrested and briefly detained by police in Addis Ababa.
    Demisse was picked from his office in Addis Ababa and taken to the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Regional State (SNNPR) where he was interrogated by the regional police.
    "Demisse is freed after he was held briefly in custody in Awasa" The Reporter editor in chief, Amare Aregawi, told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday.
    Aregawi accused the police of illegally transferring Demisse to Awasa, the capital city of the SNNPR, some 250 km south of the capital, Addis Ababa.
    "It was up to the court's decision to transfer him to a regional state and not of the Police" he said. Desmisse was arrested after wrongly reporting about the dismissal of three SNNPR's vice-presidents.
    Following the publication, the newspaper has retracted the story and apologized. According to Reporters Without Borders press freedom index, Ethiopia is Ranked 137th out of 179 countries and is labelled as Africa's foremost jailer of Journalists next to neighbouring Eritrea.

    Sunday, October 13, 2013

    Ethiopia: Editor Melaku Desmiss Illegally Arrested and Removed From Addis

    Reporters Without Borders is alarmed by newspaper editor Melaku Desmisse's illegal arrest in Addis Ababa by police from the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Regional State (SNNPR) and his subsequent illegal transfer to Awasa, the capital city of the SNNPR.
    The editor of the Amharic-language version of the independent big-circulation weekly The Reporter, Desmisse was arrested for unclear reasons in his office on 9 October, taken to a police station in the Addis Ababa suburb of Bole, and from there was taken more than 250 km south of Addis Ababa to Awasa.
    "The Ethiopian government reminds the media of the law so often that it is incomprehensible that it is allowing the police and judicial authorities to flout the law in such a blatant fashion," Reporters Without Borders said. "The SNNPR police have no jurisdiction in Addis Ababa and it is completely illegal for them to seize a journalist working there.
    "If Desmisse is accused of breaking any law, he should be brought before a federal court in Addis Ababa, which alone has the authority to try him. In the meantime, we call for the immediate release of this journalist, especially as the reason for his arrest remains puzzling."
    Desmisse's arrest may be linked to the publication of an article on 4 September wrongly reporting the dismissal of three SNNPR's vice-presidents. The newspaper retracted the story and officially apologised on 8 September. No one has been able to contact Desmisse since his arrest and he is reportedly being interrogated by the SNNPR police.
    Owned by Media Communication Centre, the English and Amharic-language versions of The Reporter together constitute Ethiopia's leading independent newspaper, one that is often the target of intimidation.
    The newspaper's Amharic-language website, which gets up to 30,000 visitors a day, was blocked in April 2012.
    The Reporter editor in chief Amare Aregawi was illegally arrested and transferred outside Addis Ababa in August 2008. A few months after his release on bail, he sustained a serious head injury when attacked by unidentified individuals.
    Ranked 137th out of 179 countries in the Reporters Without Borders press freedom index, Ethiopia remains a very dangerous country for journalist

    Saturday, October 5, 2013

    Catherine Bush produces a novel of anxiety and ambiguity - The Globe and Mail


    Author Catherine Bush.
    FICTION

    Catherine Bush produces a novel of anxiety and ambiguity


    Click Here
    • Title Accusation
    • Author Catherine Bush
    • Genre fiction
    • Publisher Goose Lane
    • Pages 358
    • Price $32.95
    When a black man is charged with a violent crime, what does a white observer see? What happens in the opposite case? How much more fraught is the act of interpretation, or judgment, when observing the actions of a person of another race or ethnic background?
    These are loaded questions, particularly in proudly multicultural Toronto, where Catherine Bush’s fourth novel,Accusation, begins. The novel opens with Sara Wheeler, a journalist covering “immigration issues and immigrant communities” for a national Canadian newspaper. She has become preoccupied with Raymond Renaud, Canadian founder of the internationally renowned Circus Mirak, an Ethiopian troupe whose oldest performers are no more than teenagers. At a benefit in Toronto, she (“tall and blond”) is introduced to Raymond, a “muscled, supple-limbed, pale black man.” Late that night, the unexpected occurs: A vulnerable Raymond approaches Sara with the proposal that she, a stranger, drive him six hours to Montreal so that Raymond can catch a flight. Intrigued, Sara agrees.

    MORE RELATED TO THIS STORY



    In the protective darkness of the car, Sara tells Raymond about a pivotal episode in her own life: Years ago, she was accused of theft and fraud. Because of a lack of evidence, there was no conviction but, crucially, no exoneration. Sara believes that this false accusation is the truest thing she can confide.
    Afterward, they do not remain in contact. Months later, when nine members of Circus Mirak seek asylum in Australia, claiming physical and sexual abuse by Raymond, Sara becomes obsessed with the man she once drove to Montreal. She trawls footage of the children, but sees no evidence of “monstrousness.” Yet the inability to see it, she tells herself, “didn’t mean it wasn’t there.”
    A persistent tapping at the complexities of prejudice – the accusations we harbour in our hearts – brings an unnerving friction to Accusation. I found it impossible, at various moments, not to judge Sara or to assign victimhood: In other words, to make my own dangerous accusations.
    Impulsively, Sara travels to Ethiopia to learn “who and what [Raymond] is.” If he has been wrongly accused, perhaps she can assist him. Yet her reasons are not entirely convincing, even to herself.
    Although Sara is an experienced journalist who has reported from conflict zones in the Middle East and East Africa, she seems ill at ease in the role of investigative journalist. She leaves a message with the local police in Addis Ababa, but never follows up. She shies away from pursuing the obvious leads, including contacting his friends and family at home. In these moments, Sara, as a character, feels tenuous. Still, through a network of expatriates, mostly Canadian, Sara discovers another story of sexual abuse, only tangentially related to Raymond, this time at an orphanage.
    On her return to Toronto, Sara publishes a major news feature, exposing a possible pedophilia ring in Ethiopia. The photograph of a 13-year-old victim, Abiye, is printed. Sara snapped the picture while in Ethiopia, and it’s never clear what kind of consent was requested or received. Meanwhile, nobody has yet been charged; accusations swirl.
    Bush’s prose is deeply considered, calm on the surface yet, on closer reading, full of ambiguities. A young man involved in terrorist activity is described as “angry in a more lethal way than [Sara].” In Ethiopia, Sara tells us, “How intimate, and domestic, the relationship with one’s driver could be.” Though the words are direct, the psychology underneath feels elusive. In her private life, coming to the end of a three-year affair with David, whose wife is undergoing treatment for cancer, Sara professes not to believe in truth, only in individual versions of the truth. Meanwhile, Raymond, projected upon, glimpsed as either a victim or a monster with little room in between, comes to life with a fractured, painful clarity.
    Events accelerate. Sara continues to pursue the story. At last, Raymond, heartbroken, begs her for peace: “You who know what this is like.” What’s left unspoken is that, in fact, Sara does not know: She cannot apprehend the nightmare of being a black man in North America accused of a sexual, predatory crime. Raymond’s truth remains hidden and unarticulated.
    The fact that Sara doesn’t perceive this divide is perhaps the most haunting conflict in Accusation. After the conversation with Raymond, she sees a group of teenagers trick or treating, one wearing a “pink Afro,” and she thinks, “She had once been a teenager like them.” This feels more real. The novel subtly evokes a deeper tragedy: In others, we keep seeing versions (fractured truths) of ourselves. Our projections become so vivid that, eventually, those unable to secure their own identities become invisible.
    Accusation is both a psychological thriller and a novel of anxiety: How can we interpret the actions of another if we are unable to perceive the most crucial elements? In the end, the inner life of another person might be the greatest mystery of all, especially if it was their exoticism that first attracted us. Our projections might blind us to the things every person holds in common: the desire to give love without reserve, the desire, perhaps impossible, to be seen fully, in our complexity, before the blade of judgment falls.
    Madeleine Thien’s most recent novel is Dogs at the Perimeter