Understanding and {www:Reconciliation} restores the capacity to unite, to live with or alongside the others. It allows us, while remembering, to bring closure to a chapter in our past. It enables us to live in the present, making our life as a nation and our lives as individuals in a shared future… [read more]
By Elias Kifle
Ethiopian Review held a highly successful town hall meeting in Washington DC Saturday afternoon, overcoming Woyanne scare tactics, boycott campaigns, and so many difficulties. I was pleasantly surprised by the high attendance after the Woyanne junta in Ethiopia and its cadres abroad did every thing it could to intimidate Ethiopians to not show up at such meetings. The 4-hour town hall meeting was a show of defiance against the fascist junta in Ethiopia and an expression of solidarity by Ethiopian patriots in the Washington DC area.
The participants at the meeting were happy to see representatives of 5 major independent Ethiopian media organizations coming together to share their views about the media’s role in bringing change to Ethiopia. There seems to be a growing appreciation and understanding that the media can play a leading role for positive change. However, as one of the panelists, Dereje Desta of ZEthiopia, said, the change must start from us. The problem is not just Meles Zenawi’s Woyanne junta. There are a number of things we Ethiopians must change if we are to free ourselves — and the most prominent among them is conquering our fear of, and obedience to dictatorships. There are many Ethiopian journalists who reside in free countries such as the United States and yet they are afraid of freely expressing their ideas.
The other panelists, Esayas Lisanu of Netsanet Le Ethiopia Radio, Abebe Belew of Addis Dimts Radio, and Abebe Gelaw of ESAT, all took turn to share their views and answer questions from the audience. There was a persistent call from the audience for the media to cooperate on common issues if they want to get stronger support from the community. One of the suggestions from the audience that has received the loudest applause is for the 5 media organizations that were represented on the stage to hold a joint fund raising event.
Following the Woyanne junta’s all out campaign to dismantle and eliminate any opposition to its rule, hundreds of Ethiopian journalists and political leaders are forced to either go into exile or underground. Currently in Ethiopia it is impossible to operate an independent newspaper, hold opposition party meetings, and organize protest demonstrations. Woyanne’s campaign extends beyond Ethiopia’s borders. It is pouring millions of dollars into a campaign to infiltrate and control every Ethiopian institution in the Diaspora, including places of worship, sports and cultural groups, and the media. It recently allocated $2 million to regain control of the Ethiopian Sports Federation in North America (ESFNA) after the board kicked out the Woyanne hoodlums from the executive committee.
There are a lot of Ethiopians who have fallen prey to the Woyanne campaign. But yesterday’s meeting in Washington DC shows that there is a resurgent opposition that is led by not just political parties alone, but coordinated and facilitated by civic groups, youth groups, the media, political parties, religious leaders and others. The Ethiopian media in particular is playing an increasingly leading role in opposition to the Woyanne rule.
Woyanne acknowledges the power of the media, and has been relentless in its attack against us. Even those of us who are 20,000 kms away from Ethiopia are not spared. But since there is no single target Woyanne can come after, it will be impossible to defeat us. And the growing recognition of the importance of the media in the struggle will hopefully prompt the public to help us build our capacity.
Ethiopian Review will hold similar events in Atlanta, Las Vegas, San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles and others cities in the coming few weeks as part of our 2012 program to build our information infrastructure inside Ethiopia and around the world. We have also launched a sponsorship program where we ask supporters of Ethiopian Review to contribute $5 per month. Please read the details here. Additionally, we are in consultation with the other media to organize a joint fund raising event in the near future.
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At least 5 bodyguards of Ethiopia’s dictator Meles Zenawi have been arrested after being suspected of secretly communicating with members of the ARENA Tigray Party, according to Ethiopian Review Intelligence Unit sources… details later
GENEVA (UN) – A number of UN human rights experts on Thursday expressed their dismay at the continuing abuse of anti-terrorism legislation to curb freedom of expression in Ethiopia.
A week ago, three journalists and two opposition politicians* were given prison sentences ranging from 14 years to life imprisonment under Ethiopia’s anti-terrorism laws. This follows the sentencing of two Swedish journalists to 11 years in prison on 27 December 2011. Another 24 defendants are scheduled to appear before the court on 5 March 2012, for various charges under the anti-terrorism law, several of whom may face the death sentence if convicted.
“Journalists play a crucial role in promoting accountability of public officials by investigating and informing the public about human rights violations,” said Frank La Rue, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, who emphasized that “they should not face criminal proceedings for carrying out their legitimate work, let alone be severely punished. Ethiopia has an obligation to fully guarantee all individuals’ right to freedom of opinion and expression under international human rights law.”
Ben Emmerson, Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights, said that “the anti-terrorism provisions should not be abused and need to be clearly defined in Ethiopian criminal law to ensure that they do not go counter to internationally-guaranteed human rights.”
The Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya, emphasized that “journalists, bloggers and others advocating for increased respect for human rights should not be subject to pressure for the mere fact that their views are not in alignment with those of the Government.” Ms. Sekaggya was particularly concerned by the case of Mr. Eskinder Nega, a blogger and human rights defender who may face the death penalty if convicted. Mr. Nega has been advocating for reform on the issue of the right to assemble peacefully in public.
Similarly, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai, cautioned against the on-going campaign of harassment against associations expressing dissenting views. “People should have the right to associate freely and assemble peacefully. These rights are complementary to the full enjoyment of their right to freedom of opinion and expression,” he said.
“The resort to anti-terrorism legislation is one of the many obstacles faced by associations today in Ethiopia,” Mr. Kiai added. “The Government must ensure protection across all areas involving the work of associations, especially in relation to human rights issues.”
Gabriela Knaul, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, deplored the reported failure to ensure the defendants’ right to a fair trial. Several public statements by high-level officials and broadcasts on public television may have undermined the defendants’ presumption of innocence. The defendants also allegedly did not have access to a lawyer during the pre-trial stage of the process.
“Defendants in a criminal process should be considered as innocent until proven guilty as enshrined in the Constitution of Ethiopia,” Ms. Knaul said. “And it is crucial that defendants have access to a lawyer during the pre-trial stage to safeguard their right to prepare their legal defence.”
Citing information received that suggests at least one lawyer was placed under surveillance, she stressed that all governments should respect the confidential nature of lawyers’ communications and consultations with their clients. “Lawyers should be able to discharge their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference,” Ms. Knaul said.
The human rights experts called on the Ethiopian Government to respect the concerned individuals’ fundamental rights, especially their right to a fair trial. They reiterated the need to apply anti-terrorism legislation cautiously and in accordance with Ethiopia’s international human rights obligations.
*Mr. Elias Kifle (journalist – life imprisonment), Mr. Wubshet Taye (journalist – 14 years’ imprisonment), Ms. Reeyot Alemu (journalist – 14 years’ imprisonment), Mr. Zerihun Gebre Egziabher (opposition member – 17 years’ imprisonment) and Mr. Hirut Kifle (opposition member – 19 years’ imprisonment).
By Daniel DeFraia | Global Post
There are 3,372 … now 3,374 signatures and counting that ask for the release of Swedish journalist Martin Schibbye and photographer Johan Persson, both serving 11-year prison sentences in Ethiopia.
The signature campaign is quickly amassing worldwide support.
In July 2011 the two journalists were arrested alongside Ogaden National Liberation Front rebels, a separatist group of Somali nationalists, in Ethiopia’s Ogaden region. On Dec. 27, 2011 the investigative journalists were convicted for “entering the country illegally and supporting terrorism.”
Their sentencing is part of a continued movement, precipitated by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s government, to suppress opposition reporting within Ethiopia. According to a report by Amnesty International, “There has been a sustained crackdown on members of political opposition parties and journalists [since] 2011.”
Just last month, Elias Kifle, editor of the Ethiopian Review, was sentenced to life in prison. Luckily, he left Ethiopia years earlier and now is in exile in Washington.
Part of the government’s bully tactics come in the form of an anti-terrorism law, ratified in 2009, that allows the government to curb freedom of expression in the name of national security. It is this law that provided the legal precedent used to sentence Schibbye and Persson.
The Committee to Protect Journalists says the “law criminalizes any reporting authorities deem to ‘encourage’ or ‘provide moral support’ to groups and causes the government labels as ‘terrorists.'”
Though acquitted of the charge to commit acts of terror — a sign that things are moving in the right direction — Schibbye and Persson have decided not to fight their 11-year convictions and have appealed to Prime Minister Zenawi for a pardon instead.
“In Ethiopia, there is a long tradition of pardons and we have chosen to leave it to this tradition,” they said from inside Addis Ababa’s Kality prison.
Between the inclusionary anti-terrorism law and tough attitude of Prime Minister Zenawi the two journalists need all the help they can get.
In another sign of Ethiopian Prime Minister dictator Meles Zenawi’s worsening repression, a U.S.-based journalist was sentenced to life in prison on anti-terrorism charges, while two other journalists were given heavy prison sentences, report the Ethiopian Free press Journalists’ Association (EFJA), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Press Institute (IPI) and other IFEX members… [read more]