24 July 2007

PROTESTERS PARDONED, BUT TWO JOURNALISTS STILL JAILED


Ethiopia has pardoned and freed 34 opposition members and four journalists who had been convicted last week for their links to deadly 2005 protests against alleged poll-rigging, say Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and news reports. But two Ethiopian journalists initially sentenced to life remain in jail.

On 20 July, two of the four editors, Andualem Ayele of "Ethiop" and Mesfin Tesfaye of "Abay", who were sentenced to life in prison for inciting violence, received pardons. Also pardoned were "Asqual" editor Wenakseged Zeleke, who was originally sentenced to three years in jail, and deputy editor Dawit Fassil of "Satanaw", who got 18 months, says RSF. According to news reports, the 38 defendants had signed a government statement admitting to organising violent election protests in 2005 and asking for clemency.

Two other journalists who were given life sentences in absentia - "Menilik" editor Zelalem Guebre and "Netsanet" editor Abey Gizaw - have so far not been included in the pardon.

RSF says, "Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has taken account of the international community's appeals but he made the release of these prisoners conditional on their signing an 'apology to the Ethiopian people' for the 'mistakes made in November 2005'." RSF says the case will not be over until Guebre and Gizaw are also cleared.

Visit these links:
- "IFEX Communiqué" on sentencing: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/84892/
- "IFEX Communiqué" on convictions in June:
http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/84088/
- RSF: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=22960
- BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6908039.stm
(24 July 2007)



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Also from the Communiqué, 24 July 2007

INTERNATIONAL: ALFRED FRIENDLY PRESS FELLOWSHIPS 24 July 2007 MOROCCO: TAKE ACTION! SEND A SOLIDARITY MESSAGE FOR DETAINED MOROCCAN JOURNALIST 24 July 2007 TUNISIA: HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST MOHAMED ABBOU FREED 24 July 2007 AZERBAIJAN: PRESIDENT IGNORES PLEAS TO PARDON JOURNALISTS 24 July 2007 NEPAL: PARLIAMENT PASSES RIGHT TO INFORMATION BILL 24 July 2007 INDONESIA: CRIMINAL DEFAMATION AGAINST GOVERNMENT RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL 24 July 2007 IRAQ: KURDISH JOURNALISTS DIE IN SUICIDE BOMB IN IRAQ; TWO OTHERS SENTENCED TO DEATH IN IRAN 24 July 2007 MEXICO: MEXICAN GOVERNMENT INEFFECTIVE IN PROTECTING JOURNALISTS, SAY IFEX MEMBERS 24 July 2007

Ethiopia

Blogger risks death penalty as judge confirms charges 26 January 2012 CORRECTION: Death penalty for blogger, prison for journalists 26 January 2012 Journalists convicted under anti-terror legislation 20 January 2012 IFJ condemns jail term handed down to Swedish journalists 27 December 2011 Two Swedish journalists found guilty of "supporting terrorism", face 15 years in jail 21 December 2011 See all alerts: Ethiopia


Central and Eastern Africa

SOUTH SUDAN: Journalist assaulted in Parliament 9 February 2012 UGANDA: Court acquits “Daily Monitor” editors 8 February 2012 DJIBOUTI: Radio journalist threatened and tortured for 24 hours 3 February 2012 KENYA: WiPC interview with Robert Wanyonyi on witnessing and reporting on crime 1 February 2012 KENYA: ARTICLE 19 publishes analysis of Freedom of Information Bill 1 February 2012


 
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