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Ethiopian Review editor, others charged with terrorism in Ethiopia

EDITOR’S NOTE: Meles and his propaganda chief Bereket fabricate any thing, come up with all kinds of wild charges to silence independent information sources. It’s a regime that compares the Voice of America (VOA) to Rwanda’s Radio Télévision Libre Mille-Collines (RTLMC). That’s how silly and outrageous they are.

By William Davison | Bloomberg

Ethiopia’s regime charged two Swedish journalists with terrorism after detaining them in July with rebels in the Ogaden region, State Minister of Communications Shimeles Kemal said.

Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye appeared in court yesterday, Shimeles said in a telephone interview from Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, today. Prosecutors have a video showing the journalists handling guns, he said.

“They have entered the country with a bunch of terrorists,” the minister said. “They have even taken weapons training. Their activity is a bit more than mere journalistic activity.”

The journalists will be tried for engaging in terrorism, assisting a terrorist organization and entering the country illegally, Shimeles said. They were detained with members of the Ogaden National Liberation Front, which has been fighting since 1984 for self-determination of Ogaden, located in a province that borders Somalia.

The Swedish Foreign Ministry hasn’t received official notification of the charges, Teo Zetterman, a spokesman for the department, said in a telephone interview from Stockholm today.

Ethiopia also brought terrorism charges against two ONLF members and three other journalists, including Elias Kifle, who runs the Washington-based Ethiopian Review website and Woubshet Taye, the deputy editor of the Addis Ababa-based Awramba Times.

“He is innocent, everybody is innocent, it is clear,” Awramba Times’s editor, Dawit Kebede, said in a phone interview today. “I believe it’s a systematic way to put pressure on our newspaper.”

23 thoughts on “Ethiopian Review editor, others charged with terrorism in Ethiopia

  1. Brother Elias!!! I have to repeat myself with what I said about you last time. I can’t help it! I have to do it again!! You got them!!! You got the Woyannes by the balls!!! They are squealing like a stinky pig lost in the bayou!!! They stink to high heaven!! Just watch what that hussy is going to do to her midget ‘husband’. One of these days she will scalp his shwanz and throw his balls to her dogs. You just watch, brother!! Just watch!!!

    Aikorutmuut Yebirut Kolo
    Aiwiruwruut Ye-esaat allollo
    Yejegnot ambaa Elias wlo.
    Yejegnaw bekuur Weyane misaw
    Yegroro atint Eli Muuyeesaw!!!
    Tmbotch Woyeenoch seerawotubet
    Finafint arab, bushti jemmala min biasfuraruut
    Jegnaw Elias akaatelachew ujuum betmjuut!!!
    Zeraf!!! Zeraf!!! Zeraf!!! Zeraf!!!

    May God Bless You and Your Family!!!!!

  2. They are scam terrorists themselves, and are accusing others for terror? That is loughable. During CLINTON visit in Addis, there was black out due to MAGMA ERUPTION and she criticized the regime about democracy, guess what? the call GOD a terrorist for the sudden return home of Clinton.

    No body take is seriouse what they say,They are LIERS, look Birtukan, they gave her 2 times life in prison for nothing, now she is free. they use their f.u.c.k.i.n.g. power to intimidate people.

  3. Meles and his boss Bereket Simon should be the only ones who should be charged with terrorims, vandalism, murder, looting, fabricating, inciting, and above child trafficing!!

  4. This charge is a badge of honor for Elias. I am proud of you for speaking up against evil when most others including myself chose to ignore the suffering of their fellow countrymen. Thank you Elias Kifle.

  5. Who is a terrorist? I think Meles and his ethnic party TPLF is a great danger for Ethiopia, the Horn of Africa and the world at large. The “friendly tyrant” like Saddam Hussien and Osama bin Laden is a good friend of the WEST but for how long. How long and how many times can one cheat. Meles is Communist when he is in China and Democrat/Capitalist when he visit western capitals. Does he think he is the only smart person in this world and nobody understands all his evil deeds and tricks. BEWARE!!

  6. TTT… The most enamored letter for woyanes is “T” – which stands for terror as we see in TPLF a.k.a. terrorist peoples liberation front. Henceforth we should refer to woyanes by their real name TTPLF. That is how they came and stayed in power. The Ethiopian people have been fighting terrorism since 1991. In the course of two decades we have survived the equivalent of 20 nine one ones(911)s. We just have to see woyane run around like a mad dog before they vaporize from over dose of Farenheight 911.
    For the woyanes the end game is in sight and capitalizing on the T word doesn’t give them any more mileage. Beqa!
    Although the whole accusation is laughable it is more laughable and absurd when the
    western creators of these thugs are still in bed with them in spite of overwhelming evidence to their crimes. Brother… what’s the word ?used to be Johannesberg… Now the word is low level criminal GANG. Persevere!!!

  7. Now this is getting to the highest absurdum. If they name Elias on their terrorist list, imagine what it means to journalists working with in Ethiopia.
    On the other hand, this act of desperation exposes more and more the true faces of terrorist Woyane’s clique. Putting Elias on their “terrorists list” is a sign of defeatism and disqualifies them as representatives (which actually never have been) of the Ethiopian people. But again, I find their acts a good omen for those who are being terrorized, imprisoned, tortured, intimidated and assassinated in Woyanes dungeons for crimes none other than being critiques of abuses and corruption in our country. Their desperados act show how shaky and nervous they are.
    The crooks are losing all their inhibitions and masks coming to their last attempts of survival acts as Gaddafi or Syria’s Assad do. Woyanes are primitive, unscrupulous, suicidal, voracious, ravenous, and cruel. They were lobbying and selling themselves to the world as democratic and progressive. However, you find these days the name Melles in many international media (lists of world’s dictators) as one of the worst dictators in the world.
    Well Elias; the primitive Woyanes are the true losers of this ridiculous accusations. You certainly are the moral winner. In a weird way, it is a blessing to show the world how Woyanes clique are out of their mind.
    God Bless true Sons and Daughters of Ethiopia! God Bless Ethiopia!

  8. Addis Ababa, September 7, 2011 (Addis Ababa) – The Federal Prosecutor has filed charges against persons suspected of terrorists act including two Swedish journalists who were arrested during a fight with Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), the Ministry of Justice said.
    In a news conference he gave here on Wednesday, State Minister for Dispute Affairs with the Ministry of Justice, Berhanu Tsegaye said the Federal Prosecutor filed charges against the suspects under the file, Elias Kifle.

    It has also filed suit against two Swedish journalists who were arrested during the fight with ONLF under the file, Abdiwoli Mohammed Ismael, he added.

    According to Berhanu, the Federal Prosecutor has charged the suspects of attempting to dismantle the constitutional system through organized armed group.

    He said the Prosecutor charged the members of the group operating under the mastermind, Elias Kifle, in collaboration with five organizations which are regarded as terrorist groups, and the Government of Eritrea with attempting to commit terror acts.

    Berhanu said the suspects, who were organized in underground terror group in 2003 EC, were also charged with an attempt of destroying electricity and telephone as well as fiber networks existing in Addis Ababa City, Dessie, Woldiya, Harar, Hawassa, Assosa, Wollega, Jijiga and Gondar by collaborating with foreign terror groups.

    The suspects include Elias Kifle, Zerihun Gebreegziabher Tadesse, Woubshet Taye Abebe and Hirut Kifle Woldeyes.

    According to Berhanu, the defendants were accused on four counts of charges.

    The charges include involving in terror act, commit terrorist act and using fraudulent money for terror act and extending financial support to terrorist acts.

    Berhanu said the suspects, Elias Kifle and Hirut Kifle, were also found guilty of committing terror acts previously.

    He said the Federal Prosecutor has also filed charges on members of ONLF and two Swedish journalists arrested during the fight with ONLF.

    The Swedish journalists were charged with advancing and supporting ONLF’s subversive acts and participating in terrorist organization and violating the sovereignty of the nation.

    According to the State Minister, the government has concrete evidence for the charges.

    The Federal High Court, which received the suits, has adjourned the case for October 17 2011.

  9. The woyane dogs are barking and biting everything and anybody. Harassment, intimidation, terrorising people, full blooded repression is the whole mark of the woyane ethno-fascist junta.

    they came to power murdering and terrorising everyone , fully loaded with arms and violence is second nature to these guys.

    Resist the devil woyane.

  10. Considering the source, consider it a badge of honor. Elias, you are us and we are you. In the lebas Woyanes eyes, all peace loving Ethiopians, who abide by the rule of law are consider terrorists. Only Ruthless criminals admire and support tyrants like Meles and Bereket who are socked with innocent humans’ blood.

  11. Elias it seems these jungle gangs are still in their rat hole mentally except looting and terrorizing the nation in a mafia style
    show and that since their arrival which is now 20 years by the help of paul hinze and now the cia guy is dead and the world politics changes in a day to day speed except this primitives thinks wearing a hand made suit and neck tie or driving hummer is for them the change and they are protectng this life that they have never seen before with whole posible alternative and does not know what they are up to their only might they think is the army cause they did not learn from the real mightys like mubarak and benali woyanne is an empty barrel the only thing left is to make a decision to make a sacrifies and believe me woyanne does not exist that a week.

  12. The world knows now what Ethiopians all along knew that weyane incites and conducts terror against innocent citizens.Now Ethiopians need to out smart anduse this situation to remove weyane.However, the removal of weyane has to be done based on the complete dependence of the resources,talents and man power of Ethiopians.We must get the mentality that says we need to depend with neighbors;learn to stand on our feet,we need to learn to trust our people and have confidence together we cabn do it.Weyane has no moral ground to govern any more;wehn we stand to defend our cause it will be proven weyane is a real loser.

  13. አንድዋ መንጃ ፈቃድ ባውጣች በ 6 ወርዋ ፖሊስ ጋር ቀረበች ::
    ፖሊስ = ይቅርታ እመቤቴ መንጃፈቃድዎን ልንሰርዘው ነው :. ይሄው በስድስት ወር ውስጥ
    አራት አደጋ አድርሰው ስድስት ሰው ህይወት አጥፍተዋል ::በጣም አዝናለሁ

    ሴትየዋ = ይቅርታ ጓድ ፖሊስ ያልገባኝ ስንት ሰው መግጨት ነበር የሚፈቀድው ?

    ———

    እኔ የምለው ይሄ ኤልያስ ስንት ነፍስ ነው ያለው ? ባለፈው በቅንጅት ዘርማጥፋት
    ሙት በቃ ተፈርዶበት አልነበር እንዴ :: ደግሞስ ባለፈው ሼሁ ለንደን ፍርድቤት ገትሩት
    አለቀለት አላልችሁንም ? ይሁን በቃ ብለን በተቀመጥንበት ደግሞ ሽቦ ሲበጥስ ያዝነው , አሸባሪ ብለን ሰይመነዋል እያላችሁ እናንተ
    ግራ ገብትዋችሁ ለምን እኛን ግራ ታጋቡናላችሁ ::
    ግን አንድን ሰው ስንት ጊዜ ነው መክሰስ የሚቻለው ? ሕግ ያጠና ሰው ካለ አለሁ ይበል ::

  14. How can a country survive where a simple thug picks a payphone from anywhere and divert millions without any trouble, never to reache his/her pocket but satisfy the comuplsion? Bumping made the Sheik wanted for murder plot against his own daughter. The bullshit/disenfranchiser was simple experimenter because who died was a game ficxer somewhere else and another bank was another asshole’s informant and another thug was another judge’s suspect. It is all an overwhelm and hedge fund co-conspiracy to make fun and vex opponents.

  15. the only terrorist in ethiopia is Meles and his genocide group – he cannot run from the truth – he is just counting his days – nor he or his family will see a penny of the $$ they have stolen from poor ethiopia – no country will accept him or protect his hidden wealth once he is caught and arrested by the ethiopian warriors that have established their mark through out the country.

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