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| Ethiopia is one of the worst countries for journalists in Africa under the leadership of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn - Ethiopia 2012 - World Economic Forum on Africa 2011 (Photo credit: World Economic Forum) |
The
Gambia Press Union, GPU, Saturday strongly condemns the Ethiopian government’s
crackdown and jailing of nine journalists and bloggers and called for their immediate
and unconditional release.
The
message was part of coordinated efforts through the pan-African journalists’
body, the Federation of African Journalists, FAJ, in solidarity with colleagues
in Ethiopia, one of the worst countries for journalists in Africa.
“Our
hearts also beat in unison with the hearts of journalists experiencing
unthinkable predicaments in Egypt, Somalia and Ukraine.
“…and
journalists facing hard times and those who died in their duties in other parts
of the world for doing their job and telling truth to power,” says Baboucarr
Ceesay, GPU’s 1st vice president.
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| Top row, from left: Zelalem, Natnail, Mahlet. Middle row, from left: Atnaf, Abel, Befekadu. Bottom row, from left: Tesfalem, Edom, Asmamaw. (Courtesy Zone 9, Addis Guday, Facebook) |
Take Africa
backwards
Speaking
on World Press Freedom Day, May 3, 2014 in Banjul, The Gambia, at the home of
NGOs, TANGO in Fajara, Ceesay said the actions of Ethiopian leaders take Africa
backwards to the dark days of Apartheid and one-party rule.
He
says this has invoked an “Orwellian reality of official deception, secret
surveillance and a disregard for honest voices speaking truth to power.”
“Ethiopia’s
actions are an affront to all Africans who aspire to live on a continent that
values justice, accountability, equality and freedom, and nurtures the
creativity and potential of its peoples,” he adds.
World
Press Freedom Day is an opportunity to renew Africa's commitment to freedom of
expression and to reject authoritarian tendencies that reduce Africans to
subjects not citizens, according to Ceesay.
Ethiopia's actions are an injury to all
Africans who believe in dialogue and engagement in the quest for a better
future, he says.
The
bloggers are members of an independent collective called Zone 9, which derived
its name from Kality Prison, the main jail where Ethiopia’s political prisoners
including several journalists are held. Zone 9 bloggers mainly publish news and
commentary.
Jailed Ethiopian
journalists and bloggers
Atnaf
Berhane, IT professional & Zone 9 blogger, Mahlet Fantahun, IT professional
& Zone 9 blogger, Natnail Feleke, Human Resource Manager at Construction
and Business Bank & Zone 9 blogger, Zelalem Kibret, academic & Zone 9
blogger, Befekadu Hailu, academic & Zone 9 blogger, Abel Wabella, engineer
with Ethiopian Airlines & Zone 9 blogger, Tesfalem Waldyes, freelancer,
contributor to the English weekly Addis
Fortune and the monthly Addis
Standard, Edom Kassaye, freelancer, formerly a reporter with the state
daily Addis Zemen, and Asmamaw Hailegeorgis, Senior Editor of
the influential Amharic weekly magazine Addis
Guday – were all jailed in Ethiopia on April 25-26, 2014
They are charged with "Working with foreign human rights
activist organizations agreeing with idea, finance and inciting violence
through social media to create instability in the country."
On
27 April 2014, they appeared before the Arada Court of First Instance in Addis
Ababa, but the exact charges against each of them remain unclear, according to
media reports.
Other journalists jailed by the Ethiopian
government are:
Woubshet Taye, Awramba Times, CNN Free Press Africa laureate 2013 was jailed on
June 19, 2011 and sentenced to 14 years.
Reeyot
Alemu, freelancer, winner of 2013 UNESCO-Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom
Prize was jailed on June 21, 2011 and sentenced to 14 years in 2012. His jail
term was reduced to 5 years on appeal.
Eskinder
Nega, freelancer, winner of the 2014 WAN-IFRA Golden Pen of Freedom Award and
2012 laureate of PEN American Center's Freedom to Write Award was jailed on
September 14, 2011, sentenced to 18 years in July 2012.
Yusuf Getachew, editor Ye Muslimoch Guday jailed on July 20, 2012, charged under anti-terrorism law and his trial is ongoing.
Yusuf Getachew, editor Ye Muslimoch Guday jailed on July 20, 2012, charged under anti-terrorism law and his trial is ongoing.
Solomon
Kebede, Ye Muslimoch Guday jailed on
January 17, 2013, charged under anti-terrorism law and trial ongoing.
Asfaw
Berhanu, former contributor to The
Reporter, convicted of spreading false rumors and sentenced to 2 years, 9
months on December 25, 2013 now appealing his sentence.
Saleh
Idris Gama and Tesfalidet Kidane Tesfazghi – Eritrean journalists have been in
custody in Ethiopia for 7 years and their whereabouts unknown.
This entry first appeared on The Voice
Edited by Modou S. Joof
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