Detained Journalists and Bloggers in Ethiopia Must be Charged or Released, says IFJ

May 20, 2014

(reliefweb) – The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has today severely criticised authorities in Ethiopia following the decision by a court to grant police nearly one more month to conduct investigations against the journalists and bloggers detained in the country last month.

Three journalists and six bloggers were arrested on 25 and 26 April by police using an arrest warrant from a public prosecutor in Addis Ababa, the country’s capital city. The police on May 17 said that while the investigations continue the three journalists and six bloggers will remain in prison.

“This is a clear human right violation,” said Gabriel Baglo, IFJ Africa Director. “These journalists and bloggers have not been charged yet and must be released immediately. The court is clearly hesitating because there are no strong charges against our colleagues”.

The IFJ criticism comes a few weeks after it wrote an open letter to U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, during his visit to the country to ask him to raise his concerns about the ordeal of the imprisoned journalists when he met with Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn.

According to media reports, Kerry subsequently raised the arrests during meetings with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Tedros Adhanom, on May 1. Following the meeting the IFJ welcomed Kerry’s action, but the Ethiopian court has now taken the decision to extend their detention.

The journalists who have been arrested are Tesfalem Weldeyest, who writes independent commentary on political issues for Ethiopia’s Addis Standard magazine and Addis Fortune newspaper, Asmamaw Hailegiorgis, senior editor at an influential Amharic weekly magazine Addis Guday, and Edom Kassaye, who previously worked at state daily Addis Zemen Newspaper and is an active member of the Ethiopian Environmental Journalists Association (EEJA).

The bloggers are reportedly members of the Zone 9 group, which is known to be very critical of government policy. They have a strong following on social media. They are: Atnaf Berahane, Befeqadu Hailu, Mahlet Fantahun, Natnael Feleke, Abel Wabela and Zelalem Kiberet. They are accused of using social media to create instability in the country and collaborating with international human rights organizations.

According to independent news reports, Ethiopian police said on Saturday, May 17, that the detainees were to be charged with the country’s anti-terrorism proclamation, No 652, published on 28 August 2009, which violates international standards on freedom of expression.
The IFJ believes that this proclamation directly threatens freedom of expression and human rights in the country which is Africa’s second worst jailer of journalists and media professionals.

Independent sources have reported that at least three of the detainees have complained of severe torture and long interrogations, while they have only seen their lawyers twice since their arrests.

“Holding detainees without charge for a prolonged period is a new trend that is becoming routine and systematic,” said Baglo. “It is another severe blow to human rights in Ethiopia and the international community must stand up and fight against it.”

ECADF http://ecadforum.com/

OLF Press Release on TPLF’s Mass killings of the Oromo Students

May 3, 2014

OLF Press Release

The Mass killing of the Oromo students who have peacefully protested against injustices in Ethiopia is only invigorate the Oromo people struggle for justice.

Since the last twenty three years , the Tigray Liberation Front (the TPLF) controls the state power in Ethiopia, the TPLF regime has targeted Oromo people in general and Oromo students in particular. The TPLF has arrested, tortured and killed thousands Oromo in the past twenty three years. The current sense less mass killings of Oromo students in different universities, like Ambo, Wallaga, Dire Dawa, Robe, Adamaa,Haramaya,Jimma , Illu , etc is the heinous crime that shocked the conscious of humanity.

The OLF strongly condemns such barbaric and egregious killing of innocent Oromo university students who have peacefully demanded the regime to halt the displacement of Oromo farmers from their Ancestral land and the inclusion of Oromo cities and surrounding localities under Finfinnee (Addis Ababa) administration under the pretext of development. Instead of responding for their genuine demands, the barbaric TPLF regime opted to massacre the Oromo students in broad day lights in the eyes of international community which have watched the agony and senseless killing through social media.

We want to remind the TPLF regime that, continuous torture, arrest and arbitrarily killing of the Oromo students will not stop the legitimate demands of Oromo students in particular and the Oromo people in general. Instead, the TPLF Action will invigorate the just struggle of Oromo people to decide their destiny in their home land. We call upon the OPDO to stand with the Oromo students and Oromo people in this historical gesture when the TPLF regime has engaged in killing the innocent Oromo people. Not doing anything and continue to work with the TPLF under this condition will make you (the OPDO) part and parcel of The TPLF crime against Oromo. We remind you that this is a high time for OPDO and its members to stand with the Oromo people genuine demands and constitutional rights guaranteed even under the TPLF (Ethiopian) constitution.

We also call upon all Oromo political and civil organizations and other political and civil organizations that claim they work to bring democracy and freedom in Ethiopia to condemn this heinous crime and stand with the legimate demands of Oromo students and the Oromo people.

Also, we urge all peace loving governments and people around the world to condemn this senseless killing of innocent Oromo students by Ethiopia regime, and stand with Oromo students’ and Oromo people who have been peacefully demanding for their legitimate rights from the Ethiopian regime.

General Kamal Gelcuu ,

John Kerry expresses concern over arrest of zone9 bloggers (Text+Video)

Posted by admin on May 1, 201424 Comments

Awramba Times (Addis Ababa) US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed his concern over Ethiopia’s crackdown against Zone9 bloggers and journalists.

In a press conference held in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa today, Secretary Kerry said “I shared my concerns [to Ethiopian officials] about the arrest of young Ethiopian bloggers”. The top US diplomat also named Natnael Feleke whom he met last year.

US Secretary of State John Kerry (Photo credit: State Department)

On April 25, police arrested members of a group known as the “Zone9” bloggers – Befekadu Hailu, Atnaf Berahane, Natnael Feleke, Mahlet Fantahun, Zelalem Kibret, and Abel Wabela. Including freelance journalists, Tesfalem Weldeyes and Edom Kassaye.

According to media reports, all were apparently taken to Maekelawi Police Station, the federal detention center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

International right groups, such as human rights watch were blatantly asking Kerry to emphasize the issue of detained bloggers ahead of his official visit to Ethiopia. Please watch the video below