Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Nine journalists and bloggers arrested in Ethiopia ahead of Kerry visit | Economy | The Guardian
According to sources cited by the International Press Institute, some of the people arrested were among a group that met with the IPI's representatives during a press freedom mission to the country in November 2013.
Three of the nine worked for Amharic and English newspapers. The others wrote for the dissident Zone 9 blog. All were reportedly arraigned in an Addis Ababa court on Sunday (27 April), the day after their arrest.
One of the arrested, the editor of a weekly, said they are all being held at the central police station in Addis Ababa and have been denied access to lawyers, family and colleagues.
According to the Zone 9 blog, the nine were charged with "working with foreign human right activist organisations... and inciting violence through social media to create instability in the country".
IPI's press freedom manager Barbara Trionfi said: "The Ethiopian authorities seem determined to crush any independent source of information, be it in print or online, and local, regional and international press freedom groups have so far failed to halt the ongoing harassment."
"There needs to be concerted international pressure from Ethiopia's donors and partners, including the European Union and the United States, to end the abuse and to pressure the Ethiopian leaders to respect their constitutional and international obligations to respect fundamental rights of media freedom."
US secretary of state John Kerry arrived in Ethiopia yesterday "to advance peace and democracy". His visit prompted Pen America to write a letter urging him to take up the case of the nine arrested journalists and bloggers.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Kerry Responds to Kristof ‘s Tweet About Arrests of Bloggers in Ethiopia at -Tadias Magazine
Kerry Responds to Kristof ‘s Tweet About Arrests of Bloggers in Ethiopia
Published by April 29th, 2014 in Featured. 0 Comments
Secretary of State John Kerry and author Nicholas Kristof. (Photo credit: Department of State and WEF)Tadias Magazine
News Update
News Update
Published: Tuesday April 29th, 2014
New York (TADIAS) — Secretary of State John Kerry responded to a tweet from New York Times Op-Ed columnist Nicholas Kristof regarding the recent arrests of several independent journalists and bloggers in Ethiopia. Soon after news of the crackdown in Addis Ababa broke on social media this past weekend, Kristof had tweeted saying “Let’s hope that when John Kerry visits Ethiopia in coming days, he’ll forcefully raise issue of imprisoned bloggers & journalists.”
Kerry who is visiting Ethiopia this week as part of a three country tour of Africa (including the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola) assured the award winning journalist that the matter remains high on his agenda. “Important issue,” Kerry replied. “US will stay committed to helping promote & protect press freedom in all corners of world.”
New York-based Human Rights Watch organization notes that “on the afternoon of April 25, police in uniform and civilian clothes conducted what appeared to be a coordinated operation of near-simultaneous arrests. Six members of a group known as the “Zone9” bloggers – Befekadu Hailu, Atnaf Berahane, Natnael Feleke, Mahlet Fantahun, Zelalem Kibret, and Abel Wabela – were arrested at their offices and in the streets. Tesfalem Weldeyes, a freelance journalist, was also arrested during the operation. Edom Kassaye, a second freelance journalist, was arrested on either April 25 or 26; the circumstances of her arrest are unclear but all eight individuals were apparently taken to Maekelawi Police Station, the federal detention center in Addis Ababa, the capital. The arrests also came days before Ethiopia is scheduled to have its human rights record assessed at the United Nations Human Rights Council’s universal periodic review in Geneva on May 6.”
All of the accused have been charged with “inciting public violence” and colluding with “a foreign organization.”
Below is the twitter exchange between Kerry and Kristof:
9 Ethiopian Journalist and bloggers appeared in Criminal Court
Addis
Ababa — Three journalists and six bloggers, who were detained starting late
Friday and Saturday, appeared before court on Sunday April 27.
Ababa — Three journalists and six bloggers, who were detained starting late
Friday and Saturday, appeared before court on Sunday April 27.
All six of them appeared before the Federal First Instance Court
First Criminal Bench at Arada and were charged with "Working with foreign
organizations that claim to be human rights activists and agreeing in idea and
receiving finance to incite public violence through social media. The detainees
are charged under three files.
First Criminal Bench at Arada and were charged with "Working with foreign
organizations that claim to be human rights activists and agreeing in idea and
receiving finance to incite public violence through social media. The detainees
are charged under three files.
Tesfalem Waldyes, Asmamaw Hailegiorgis and Zelalem Kibiret are
charged under one file. Befekadu Hailu, Mahlet Fantahun and Abel Wabela are
charged under another file. Whereas Atinafu Birhane, Natinael Feleke and Edom
Kassaye are charged in a third file. The hearing was presided by a judge Liya
Zenebe.
charged under one file. Befekadu Hailu, Mahlet Fantahun and Abel Wabela are
charged under another file. Whereas Atinafu Birhane, Natinael Feleke and Edom
Kassaye are charged in a third file. The hearing was presided by a judge Liya
Zenebe.
Police alleged that the suspects have been disseminating
information via social media, internet and websites that destabilizes nation.
information via social media, internet and websites that destabilizes nation.
Though police requested the court for 15 additional days for
investigation, the court allowed only 10 and 11 days.
investigation, the court allowed only 10 and 11 days.
Asked about the detainees' condition and the reason for their
arrested, Shimelis Kemal, deputy head of Government Communication Affairs
Office (GCAO) with a state ministerial portfolio, told The Reporter that he did
not know anything but indicated that he would try to assess the matter.
arrested, Shimelis Kemal, deputy head of Government Communication Affairs
Office (GCAO) with a state ministerial portfolio, told The Reporter that he did
not know anything but indicated that he would try to assess the matter.
All six bloggers were arrested at night by armed security forces
and taken from their homes to the Federal Police Crime Investigation Sector
'Maekelawi'.
and taken from their homes to the Federal Police Crime Investigation Sector
'Maekelawi'.
One of the detainees, Tesfalem Waldyes, is a journalist who
occasionally writes for Fortune - the business weekly newspaper - and Addis
Standard magazine.
occasionally writes for Fortune - the business weekly newspaper - and Addis
Standard magazine.
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