(SVT) — Yesterday SVT showed video as an evidence that the arrest of Swedish journalists in Ethiopia was staged. Now we can show even more pictures from the interrogations. (Warning: GRAPHIC IMAGES)
In the new the latest video, one can see how Martin Schibbye during a hearing was forced to show the contents of his luggage item by item: vitamin-c tablets, mobile phones, batteries, passport, camera equipment, press card …
“This is a bag to carry things in. This is my Swedish passport. This is my mobile phone” … he says in the film.
It is unclear how long after the arrest of the two Swedish journalists the video was recorded, but according to SVT’s source, the two were in custody for several days before the video was recorded.
In one sequence in the video, sounds a round is heard in the background during the interrogation of Schibbye who then jerks and looking in the direction the sound is coming from.
In another, one of the soldiers says to Martin Schibbye that his colleague Johan Persson has been duped into believing that Schibbye have been killed.
“He thinks you’re dead, someone says in the film.”
“Then he will be happy when he sees me. Resurrected,” … answers Schibbye and rises.
SVT’s informant is a former Ethiopian government official then responsible for the video footage that was taken by the Swedes arrested.
An uncut original video that SVT came across shows that the arrest is orchestrated by the Ethiopian regime military. Alleged rebels of the Ogaden province is waiting for the recording to begin.
A corpse with bullet holes in the head is shown in the video, but according to SVT’s informant, the was transported to the place as props.
The Swedes were seriously injured
The Swedes, who were injured in the arrest, were denied professional care and subjected, despite their health condition, to lengthy interrogations by Ethiopian military.
In one of the video sequences, an interview with Johan Persson, where he receives orders on how he should behave.
“Sit properly! Brush the dust off his pants! said the interrogator.”
On Thursday, SVT will an extraordinary documentary about Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye. The documentary is a review of the game played against the imprisoned Swedish journalists.
“We have access to a unique material and shocking information that was not previously known,” says Nils Hanson, Project Manager at Mandate Review.
Hon. Ana Gomes talks about the death of Ethiopian dictator Meles Zenawi, the delay to swear in his successor, and the political prisoners in Ethiopia. She also confirms that Meles died in July, much earlier than what the regime claims, which is August 21. Also watch the second video below where she responds to Louis Michel.
Ana Gomes passionately debates with Louis Michel about EU policy on Ethiopia
MEP Louis Michel glorifies the late Ethiopian dictator
By Yilma Bekele
Someone broke into our house. They forced the backdoor open and went through every square inch of the house. They turned our mattress over, pilfered through our drawers and left the closet in a mess. It was done in the middle of the day and it looks like they took their time. They stole laptops, I pod, tablet computer, flat screen TV’s and my wife’s gold jewelry.
We have lived in the same neighborhood for over twenty years now. Nothing like this has happened before. We felt safe and secure. We did not have a burglar alarm. There were no metal guards on our doors and windows. When we moved to the area most of our neighbors were elderly people enjoying their retirement. They were always outside sitting on their porch and remising and watching. It is true there were one or two houses where the young kids were dealing drugs but the presence of the grandfathers made their business low-key.
Burglary is an ugly and very personal crime. Most of the stuff they took is replaceable. What is disturbing and creepy is the fact that a stranger went thru your stuff. I just keep visualizing their ugly dirty hands in my drawer and all over my home. They stole expensive stuff like computers but what bothered me most was the loss of quarters I was saving for my son. They took the flat screen televisions and Google tablet but the loss of little gold crosses from my mom to my wife is what keeps me awake at night. The thought of a burglar never crossed my mind but now I am convinced burglars are the scums of the earth. I better not be called for a jury duty where the crime is burglary. Off with his/her head is what first comes to mind.
I was seething with anger regarding my home invasion when I read Ambassador Susan Rice eulogy at the funeral of you know who in my homeland. My depression was compounded. Et tu Susan? When Bush was the President Ambassador Rice opined on the Washington Post “We Saved Europeans. Why Not Africans?” regarding the administration’s refusal to use force in Darfur and her praise of President Clinton’s military intervention in Kosovo. Compare that to her statement at the funeral of an African tyrant. Our fearless Ambassador was very generous with her praises of the dictator and was nice enough to include the human side of him inquiring about her family. She went out of her way to heap accolades like a smitten teen ager and elevate the dictator to new heights. I have no problem with her ignorance but what got my goat was her statement “He [Meles] was tough, unsentimental and sometimes unyielding. And, of course, he had little patience for fools, or “idiots,” as he liked to call them” That to me is too personal. Shame on you Susan Rice! Those of us that fight injustice are not fools or idiots. My dear Ambassador it looks like you have things reversed.
Those that deny freedom to others, those that deny democracy, those that deny the rule of law are considered fools and idiots. On the other hand those that fight back to secure their God given right to live in peace and dignity are normally referred to as freedom fighters. As a black person that find yourself in such a high and powerful position representing your country I would have thought you would be the perfect candidate to identify with the cause of our people and be able to articulate our wishes and dreams better than your Wasp predecessors. Mrs. Ambassador it is a little disconcerting to think a poor immigrant like me is constantly fighting with rednecks and conservatives that judge you negatively based on the color of your skin and declare you unfit to represent America and here you are paying my favor by dancing with criminals and unsavory characters. Too bad you are not a student of MLK. Where did you miss the bus?
Anyway I gave your transgressions and insulting behavior some thought and was able to put things in perspective. I decided there is no reason I should spend an ounce of energy on what you think and say. I got bigger problems to solve. Thus I went back to my home burglary issue and viewed the two items and marveled at the linkage of the situation.
I did not leave my home open. Someone forced the door open. What I have done since then is install security doors and windows, install cameras and use cloud storage to back up my documents. It is impossible to stop a determined criminal the least I could do is make the bum work to earn his pay. It is said you know who your friends are in times of difficulty. I was humbled by two of my friends that gave me a lap top computer and a flat screen television to ease my pain. My friends Getachew and Dr. Tesfaye made me realize I am not alone. We are each other’s keeper.
When it came to my homeland the situation is a little different. The burglars did not have to break a door or climb thru a window. They just bought their way in to our precious country. They used collaborators to open the door and let them in. We left our door open. No need to blame the burglar for our being indifferent regarding our treasure. Ambassador Rice was praising an individual we allowed to dictate to us for over twenty years. I know some fought back. Plenty paid with their life. The use of ethnic loyalty was his calling card. I am also sure that his harsh and intrusive system have something to do with his longevity. No matter the reason, our door was left open, and our security was compromised.
The solution to safeguard a country is a little different than securing a home. Walls, cameras, border guards on the ground and drones in the sky are not a solution. The best full proof system is a population that is empowered to safeguard its own freedom. The citizen has to feel that they are in charge and they own their country. Those in charge have to understand that they serve by the will of the people. That is what is meant by ‘for the people by the people.’ As they are hired by the citizen they must know that the possibility of being fired for misconduct is real.
This kind of arrangement assures the leader entrusted with the key will not open the door and let strangers in to take advantage of a poor nation. Strangers will not try using underhanded means to get in and and act like king makers knowing it will be rejected. The recent death of the dictator is proof that our door was left wide open. The situation has favored the outsiders at the expense of the citizen. He was loved, respected, held in high esteem, considered a visionary and a person of extraordinary super natural gift. Unfortunately the sky high phrases are uttered by no other than those that enabled him to stay in power.
The issue is not Susan Rice, European Union or any outside party. We are that are the legitimate owners of this Nation called Ethiopia that allows misfits, megalomaniacs and unsavory individuals to hold the key to our door. We refuse to stand for fair play and justice. Recently when talking about an issue that tested the American people President Obama said ‘As Americans let us never, ever forget that our freedom is only sustained because there are people who are willing to fight for it, to stand up for it, and in some cases lay down their lives for it. Our country is only as strong as the character of our people and the service of those, both civilian and military, who represent us around the globe.’ It is when we can say those words regarding our motherland that we can stand straight look each other in the eye and utter the words ‘I love Ethiopia.’ Anything else is hot air and bluster.
SVT can now reveal that the videos that the Ethiopian government used as evidence of the arrest of the Swedish journalists is staged. Our sources even claim that the video was shot two days after Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye were arrested.
During the trial of Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye autumn 2011 showed prosecutor videos that he meant clearly proven Swedes crimes. Even then questioned a video sequence and the prosecutor was forced to admit that the sound of gunfire was applied retrospectively. But the prosecutor insisted that the films showed the arrest of one authentic way.
Välregisserat acting
SVT has now taken some of the unedited raw material. Prosecutor film gives the impression that there is heavy fighting when two rebels from the ONLF guerrillas arrested. But in the original material can be clearly seen that the “rebels” are acting as if they were extras in a movie and laugh between scenes. When SVT examines more sequences, it becomes even clearer that it is a välregisserat acting.
-They were just an actor and had never even met Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson said Abdulahi Hussein, who provided material to SVT and now living under death threats. Despite this, he chooses to come forward with his name.
False evidence
At trial, also testified two soldiers from the special border police force that a large number of ONLF rebels killed when Swedish journalists were arrested. To prove this is a dead rebel in the prosecutor’s movie. The man alleged to have killed a few minutes earlier, and the sequence is taken from a distance. The original materials are close-ups of the corpse but SVT’s sources say that it is an old corpse. Bullet holes are dry and portions of the face is bluish.
-The military gave Johan and Martin left in the jungle for several days. The reason for it was to find time to record the movie. When the film was finished, they were taken to the capital Addis Ababa to the embassy could meet them, said Abdulahi Hussein.
Smuggled out
The film material is smuggled out in stages from Ethiopia by sources who are now living under the threat of death. Abdulahi Hussein previously worked within the Ethiopian administration in the Ogaden but has now fled the country. He was responsible for the collection of the filmed material used in the Ethiopian video and it was he who approved the result.
-The purpose of the video was to prosecute them and get them sentenced to a long prison term.
The death of dictator Meles Zenawi has left the Ethiopian ruling junta, TPLF, in disarray. Because Meles did not put a succession plan in place, TPLF and its umbrella organization, EPRDF, are now engulfed in a dangerous power struggle that could erupt in a bloody clash.
The major actors in the power struggle include: Azeb Mesfin (TPLF), Abay Woldu (TPLF vice chair), Sebhat Nega (TPLF), Seyoum Mesfin (TPLF), Debretsion Gebremichael (TPLF), Tewodros Hagos (TPLF), Bereket Simon (ANDM), Addisu Legesse (ANDM), Hailemariam Desalegn (SEPDM), Kuma Demeksa (OPDO), Abadula Gemeda (OPDO), Aster Mamo (OPDO), to mention a few of them.
The most dangerous of all these guys is TPLF Politburo member and Minster of Communication & Information Technology Debretsion Gebremichael. All the TPLF/EPRDF intelligence and security apparatus report to him. He chairs the join security commission whose members include Getachew Assefa, head of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), and Workneh Gebeyehu, head the Federal Police, among others. His agents and assassins are also embedded through out the bureaucracy and the military. In short, Debretsion is the Henrich Himmler of TPLF.
Before becoming a TPLF politburo member, Debretsion was responsible for jamming radio and TV signals, blocking web sites, tapping phones, other forms of electronic security. Before that he was a spy and member of Meles Zenawi’s death squads who were sent out at night to knock off opponents.
Now Debretsion is the one who is expected to execute decisions if TPLF decides to carry out purges and assassinations in EPRDF. According to Ethiopian Review sources, Debretsion is currently tracking the movements of Hailemariam Desalegn and all those who are suspected of posing a threat to the TPLF domination. He listens to their phone conversations, records all their meetings, and their bodyguards report to him any suspicious activities.
If Hailemariam wants to have any chance of survival, he must move to immediately fire Debretsion and appoint some one who is loyal to him. Otherwise, in the coming few days it is possible that Hailemariam will be another Teferi Benti, Aman Andom, or Atnafu Abate.
BLANTYRE, MALAWI (NewsTimeAfrica) — Police in Malawi’s northern border district of Karonga have arrested 62 Ethiopians suspected of entering Malawi illegally.
“We got a tip from villagers that they spotted a truck full of people with strange faces packed in some bush,” said Enock Livason, a police spokesman in the district.Livason said police followed the tip and arrested the 62 Ethiopians.
Four Malawians were also arrested, he said.”We have charged the Ethiopians with illegal entry and their Malawian accomplices, who include the driver of the truck, with aiding and abetting crime,” said Livason.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there is a chain of human traffickers lined up from the Horn of Africa – where the most of the illegal immigrants come from – through Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa. Most of these are economic refugees who seek greener pastures in South Africa.The traffickers connive with police in the five countries to allow safe passage of the refugee.
President Joyce Banda of Malawi, who has made curbing the illegal immigrants her rallying call, recently “named and shamed” a police officer who was fingered by some arrested illegal immigrants as their “link man”. Most of the illegal immigrants use uncharted routes over land and on lakes. Recently 47 Ethiopians drowned on Lake Malawi when their boat capsized because of overloading. Forty-two others from Ethiopia and Somalia were also found suffocated to death in a truck in Tanzania.
The most dangerous of all these guys is TPLF Politburo member and Minster of Communication & Information Technology Debretsion Gebremichael. All the TPLF/EPRDF intelligence and security apparatus report to him. He chairs the join security commission whose members include Getachew Assefa, head of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), and Workneh Gebeyehu, head the Federal Police, among others. His agents and assassins are also embedded through out the bureaucracy and the military. In short, Debretsion is the Henrich Himmler of TPLF.