German Parliamentarian Thilo Hoppe issued the following press release today on the attempt by Ethiopia’s khat-addicted dictator to ban independent media and silence critics.
PRESS RELEASE
(PDF)
According to reports from journalists at Voice of America and Deutsche Welle, the Ethiopian government is keeping a “blacklist” of names of “undesirable” journalists and “subversive” critics. In this context, Thilo Hoppe, a Member of the German Bundestag who is himself amongst those listed, has made the following statement:
The attempt to ban foreign media broadcasting in Ethiopia from conducting interviews with opposition activists and critical observers demonstrates once again the sorry state of freedom of expression in Ethiopia.
According to information provided by the Committee to Protect Journalists, Ethiopia has one of the highest rates of exiled journalists in the world. Under the guise of an anti-terrorism law adopted in 2009, newspapers are being shut down and journalists arrested. The radio frequencies of the Deutsche Welle’s Amharic programme are frequently systematically jammed.
After the intergovernmental negotiations with Ethiopia in June, German Development Minister Niebel stressed the importance of human-rights dialogue in German-Ethiopian development cooperation.
If more than lip service is to be paid to this human-rights dialogue, these new cases of violation of press freedom must also be clearly and firmly raised in discussions with Ethiopian partners.
13 thoughts on “German parliamentarians denounces media ban in Ethiopia”
Mr. Thilo Hoppe,
Not only journalists, but a lot of skilled Ethiopians prefer to live abroad. How ever, in order for your agenda to cover up you chose “Ethiopian Journalists in Exile”. Who are you after all to comment on Ethiopian press? The “Terrorist Law” in Ethiopia is nothing but the same law implemented in your own country and around the world. You may know this: It is not uncommon in Ethiopia and all over the world for journalists to behave like what they need. This is not bad, but when their publication rises human unrest and war, would you be happy. That is what the law in Ethiopia. Or do you mean this poor country in African doesn’t need any law like Germany, UK, USA?…….
It is good Wouanne is exposed to the world, but we shouldn’t expect to get freedom with the help of others. We have to get it by ourselves.
TPLF has proved enough they belong in the catagory of HITLER, IDI AMIN, MLADIC,,, it was july 2 when they shot two swedish journalists in OGADEN, proctecting anyone to witness the horror, mass sloughter, rape, genocide, blockade in OGADEN as well as the rest of ethiopia.
The word “Anti-terrorism law” could be replaced by “Anti government law”. The barbaric and neo nazi-Woyane regime is dying of pretending as a follower of peace. But in effect, the ruling clique is masking itself by piling up of different laws just to disguise itself from its internal terrorism against the Intelligentia.
Not only media & journalism is its target to block but it is blocking the foreign media not to report on the drought by the time millions of people are dying. by next week or so there would be a big exposition of the hunger catastrophe in Ethiopia.
Three to seven officials including the Intriguer Meles Zenawi will be held accountable for stealing 8,5 Billion dollars. This money must come back to the country and must be utilised to rehabilitate the hungry people of Ethiopia. Otherwise the regime has to go.
Down with the Meles regime and its military junta.
When i was surfing the net, found an interesting piece on so-called ertra.com by a certain gentleman journalist, Thomas Mountain posted at the Srilankan Guardian news paper, concerning the worst starvation in 60 years as you might guested already dear ER visitor, in our region. Mr. Mountain, reported “…hundreds of millions of starving people in the horn of Africa will once again end up paying for the Ethiopian military’s latest arms purchase or in the western bank accounts of Ethiopian prime minister Meles Zenawi and his cohorts…”
Welcome brother Thomas to the Clum Of Human Right And Justice Advocates, joining the esteemed personalities such as the good prof Al. REgrebably, i think the world is in short suppy of honest and fair reporters like you nowadays. I have no doubt ato Elias would also keep on exposing woyane’s corrupt homocidal crime dictatorship offering no apopogy.
Peace&Love
Actually I have nothing to say about the German parliament issue.
Rather I want to tell you that soon Ethiopia will envade Eritrea.
What surprised me is the UN gave the go ahead. In reality I don’t like both leaders but I am really so sorry for this two nations.
M
I don’t undrestand if terrior has different meaning when it is excuted by a head of state like Meles Zenawi and the un licensed terriorests.The Western World is financing arming and keep Despot Meles in power even though he is ruling the Ethiopian people by terrior.This is the fact and it is not name calling and the West know this very well.All of them try to distance themseves from the terriorst act of Meles against All Ethiopians and for long now inparticular to the Oromoo people.I know in the hearts of their heart they feel as it is crime to support a terriorst while there are boots on the ground to fight terriosts around the World.
This is what we should demand the West,DON’T pretend,be on the side of the helpless voice less Ethiopians being terriorized by their own “leader”.It is not only the jornalists who are in terrioir .the whole Ethiopia is including Tiray.So don’t tear crokodile tear to pretend that you are talking for the people.Your interest is more resereved and honered if you be with the people.The Ethiopian people need action not crokodile tears.
Let me repeat what I predicted in 2005: Meles will find any excuse to invade Eritrea and make himself the Emperor of the Greater Tigrea by scarfing Ethiopian soldiers, Ethiopia’s limited resources and at the end dismantle and leave Ethiopia in foreign hands or give power to one of his ass kissers OLF members. Lately, the TPLF regime have been building their cases to UN accusing their evil cousin Essayas as a terrorist in order to invade Eritrea. It is more than clear that Meles has no love for Ethiopia and Ethiopians. Meles is a very vindictive and malicious individual that will do everything under the sun to divide Ethiopia in small parts to get back to Ethiopians that despise him. May evil Meles and his evil cousin Esyass burn in Hell for eternity for bringing misery to Ethiopia/ns.
blockade of ogaden, which has now been extended to the media, creating a news blackout that has severely restricted the reporting of the suffering in ogaden to the outside world. In the last four years,TPLF government has placed a blanket ban on the flow of all international aid organizations and journalists into ogaden..
Another nail in the woyane coffin. THE TROUBLE IS THESE GUYS FEED WOYANE ON ONE HAND AND STAB IT IN THE OTHER.
Twenty years is a heck of lots of times since Zinawianrobbers entered Ethiopia disguising as Ethiopians.Time favored Zinawianrobbers and invaded Ethiopia;the robbers then scattered across Ethiopia and moved into villages,towns,cities,and neighbourhoods,broke into homes and vandalized the lives of families.Today,Ethiopians are overwhelmingly burdened by what the enemy is doing costs Ethiopians,but,but,but the enemy will definitely pay the dearest price.Yes,it will.
Zinawianrobbers are compulsively murderers with the deepest dislike for Ehtiopians.They live on the flesh and blood of Ethiopians;they make profits from the selling of the children of Ethiopians to the customers in the middle east;they sell babies in bulk and retailed them to international marketers ;they evicted inhabitats from Gambela and elswere and gave the priceless farmlands to foreigners for little or nothing.Ethiopians are hurt deeply;but,for sure,the wound will heal when the Zinawianrobbers are captured and be brought to justice with all the sins and crimes that they committed on Ethiopians.
Today,Zinawianrobbers are preoccupied with looting and murdering Ethiopians forgetting the existence of the justice is after them;when they are captured,they will turn into tenuous dusts.
Hi Abun,
Don’t mix things up! There is a big difference between those laws in Germany, UK and that of Ethiopia. The ‘anti-terreristlaw’ in Ethiopia is resrticting free speach.
when will we learn that the LORD puts leaders in position at His will, even though we’d would like to think we did it by voting or ‘voting,’ wink, wink.
He says He shall put the the basest of people to rule over us becuase it is HIS will. Leaders are there to either punish a people or bless a people.
Ask yourselves why we are suffering and have been for a while now.
The answer is so simple it illudes us…we are a people separated from God. Done!
It’s not Meles that scares me, it’s the every-day people that scare me now…