(SVT) — It was an emotional press conference where Swedish journalists Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson who talked about their experiences in Ethiopia. The atmosphere was charged and the two journalists were greeted as heroes with applause when they entered the hall, straight from the airport.
Martin Schibbye talked about how they were forced to stay in the desert to record the fake film about the arrest that was used as evidence in the trial – a film that SVT has previously shown.
Lost a lot of blood
“It was action-taking and so they ran around there. We did not think it was true. I thought: ‘Will they let us see these and then live?’ He talked about the film that orchestrated the arrest.
The journalists were terribly frightened. Johan Persson was injured during the arrest and lost a lot of blood.
“I thought that these people are not really wise. I was afraid that I would get blood poisoning,” says Johan Persson.
The Swedes were trying to negotiate with the ‘filmmakers’ to go to a hospital and also meet officials of the Sweden embassy.
“They wanted us to condemn ONLF but we did not. We agreed to say that we were Swedish journalists. We were terribly afraid that they would shoot us,” says Persson.
Martin Schibbye also tells the mock execution he was subjected to. A soldier pulls him out of the middle of the desert and ask him to walk in front of soldiers. He hears cocking of a rifle.
He says he is “no more mr nice guy” and now I’ll die if I do not tell the truth. I have several times thought why people go to mock execution just like that in front of the guns? Now I understand, you can not do anything else.
Johan Persson was told that Martin Schibbye have been killed and after he heard shots.
Will not give up the fight for freedom of expression
But the journalists said they will not give up his fight – now await further work to talk about their experiences in a book, continue to review and to fight for freedom of expression. When the Swedes left prison, a fellow prisoner threw himself toward them. He was hit with batons several times by the guards:
He said: “Tell the world what is happening here,” says Martin Schibbye.
“We must not allow journalists to be convicted as terrorists; it must never happen again,” says Martin Schibbye and raises his voice.
“We have become better journalists because of this,” says Persson.
“We have been afraid to speak, to write, to live in such a country that has given the concept of freedom of speech, democracy and freedom a new meaning,” says Martin Schibbye to SVT.
Ethiopia’s ruling junta, EPRDF, convened today to choose a successor to the late dictator Meles Zenawi. Today’s meeting has just ended, but there is no official announcement on any decision yet. The meeting was chaired by acting prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn. The following is the only official news so far:
A two-day EPRDF Council meeting began today (September 14th) here in Addis Ababa. The EPRDF secretariat announced that the 180 member council will agree on a chairman and deputy-chairman for the Front following the death of Prime Minster Meles Zenawi It is also expected to decide on a number of related matters.
In the Ethiopian New Year, Ethiopian National Transitional Council (ENTC), in collaboration with Tinsae Ethiopia, has intensified its call to the people of Ethiopia to get organized and liberate ourselves from the TPLF regime.
During the past week, Tinsae Ethiopia members in Addis Ababa and other cities have been working closely with the ENTC to distribute pamphlets (see below) and writing on walls to call for regime change.
Because of the extremely tight security we did not want to endanger our members by asking them to take photos of all their activities, but they were able to send us some photos, including the following two.
The TPLF regime army in Ethiopia has summarily executed the following Ethiopians at Qurile village, in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia on September 6, 2012. Their names have been compiled from eyewitnesses who have escaped the massacre. Many civilians in the village are missing. This is the second time that the TPLF junta carried out mass executions in Qorile.
1- Faysal Irshad Awlad
2- Mowliid Haasan Abdi
3- Mohamed Guled Ali
4- Abdirahman Guled
5- Hinod Shekh Abdi
6- Ayan Abd Haji His
7- Farah Ali Goh
8- Surer Abdi Qate
9- Saynab Abshir Aw-ali
10- Ugaso Ma’alin Umar
11- Asho Nado Janagale
12- Iido Shekh Abdi Usmaan
13- A six years old who was with Iido
14- Farah Yusuf Khalif ( nicknamed Farah-Dhonbe)
15- Abdi Guled Ali
16- Fadumo Guled Ali
17- Khadar Ahmed Guled and her child
(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
