VOA Reporter Detained in Ethiopia
It appears Meles Zenawi’s troops are gearing up to attack and destroy Muslim protestors. TPLF forces have been waiting for two events to pass before waging full–scale suppression of the Mulim protests. The first event was the recent World Economic Forum held in Addis Ababa, while the second one was the May 19 Camp David meeting at which Meles pontificated about hunger in Africa. In the meantime, the regime has been frantically holding nationwide meetings to divide and conquer the uprising. But Muslim anger and protests are intensifying. The regime appears ready to do what it does best: arrest and kill its citizens while making sure the outside world does not see the attrocities
By Voice of America
Friday May 25 A Voice of America reporter has been detained in the Ethiopian capital while trying to cover a demonstration Friday.
Witnesses to the arrest told VOA that reporter Peter Heinlein and his translator Simegineh Yekoye were detained while seeking to interview protesters during a Muslim demonstration following Friday prayers in Addis Ababa.
Another Western reporter said there was a heavy police presence at the demonstration and that he also was stopped by police and told to leave the area.
Tom Rhodes, East Africa spokesman for the Committee to Protect Journalists, said he understood that Heinlein was accused of acting “unprofessionally and illegally.” Rhodes said a government spokesman accused Heinlein, who is married to a Danish diplomat, of improperly using a diplomatic vehicle and refusing to show media accreditation.
Rhodes added that the accusations seemed at odds with Heinlein’s reputation as a highly professional journalist who has worked for VOA since 1988.
“However, I would add that Peter Heinlein is a veteran reporter, an experienced and professional broadcaster, so personally I find it rather hard to believe that someone like Heinlein would be reporting unprofessionally.”
In a formal statement from its headquarters in Washington, VOA said, “The safety and welfare of our reporters is our utmost concern and we are working to gather more information about Mr. Heinlein’s status.”
The statement said VOA is in touch with the U.S. Department of State seeking more information and “We urge Ethiopian authorities to allow Mr. Heinlein to carry out his journalistic responsibilities without interference.”
Heinlein reported last week on rising tensions between the government and Ethiopia’s Muslim minority, which has held a series of demonstrations to protest what the community sees as government interference in Islamic affairs.
The CPJ quoted Minister of Government Communications Bereket Simon saying officials wanted to speak to Heinlein about his “unobjective” reporting on the Muslim issue. Bereket did not say whether Heinlein has been formally arrested or charged.
18 thoughts on “Nervous Meles Zenawi arrests VOA reporter”
I applaud Woyane for arresting the reporter. I say Kudus, kick them all out. We do not need them. I repeat, kick them all out. They are mercenaries. They are there on purpose to stir conflict and hatred among our people. We do not need them. Kick all the Europeans and arabs. Please do so.
Ahadu replies:
May 26th, 2012 at 4:35 PM
Nebelbal
Woyanne seems to be out of their minds, Do you really believe that
woyanne kumta lebash and very poor eqipped soldiers defeated the Ethiopian military and enters in minilik palace? If you are not complete illitrate who learned computer typing during the era of woyanne ,i will tell you some secret it is the CIA or USA that enabled
jungle actors as their proxy slaves as promised to accept everything with no precondition,part of the process is like invading Somalia,destroying Ethiopian historical heritages sugar plantation in Waldbas and other monastries,by our Muslim brothers and sisters to reverse their thousand years belief to its new imported cult,killing Ethiopianism systematically being advised by is enablers,so your comment only shows that you are living on the other side of the moon.Having said that woyannes jailing of the VOA reporter is like plying with a volcanoe.
Abraha replies:
May 26th, 2012 at 5:32 PM
I agree with you. I know Woyane is a puppet of USA. Meles is thier messenger boy. Americans do not care about Ethiopia to tell you the truth. Democracy is a camouflage. But my problem now, no Ethiopia is outside the influence of USA? do you think G7 will be better? no ways. They have gone to Asmara to do the same what woyane did long ago.
I am sorry I am hopeless Ethiopia does not have patriotic sons and daughters. Americans as sinister as Arabs. Arabs wanted to destroy tht is Arabic and Americans wanted to destroy is that American. To tell you the truth, Americans are working hard and bribing Woyane to hand them the country. Americans are salivating a dog that has seen a big meat? The big meat for Americans in Ethiopia is the Ethiopia Commercial Bank, Telecom,… etc. Did you hear Bill Gate telling to the world how Ethiopia is developed? I do not hear any Ethiopia saying there is development. Arab = America. If I was a leader of Ethiopia; I would kick Americans, Arabs, from the Ethiopian soil and I would have gathered the lost sheeps of Ethiopia from every corner of the earth and motivated them to develop Ethiopia. Woyane, erkus new.
Ahadu replies:
May 29th, 2012 at 10:45 AM
Abraham
Our country Ethiopia is now in a cross road to dissapear from the planet earth ,had it not been the bravery of the peoples home,which
is proved by the election 2005,after 15 years of trial as adviced by its enablers.Having said that we are not in the situation to criticise any opposition let alone G7 the biggest acceptance by Ethiopians at this time which is fighting only to take freedom back that is taken by the jungle actors (Woyanne).Ethiopia is now under occupation by a proxy slave or mercinery working for the future plan of its enablers that are planning a water war after 40 years from now as you probably know Ethiopia is one of the leading countries concerning water their short time plan is to cut the nation in pieces like a cake and creat small countries with in Ethiopia to guarantee their future generation
that is why they turning a blind eye for our struggle even though they know everything so in this situation we have to show respect for any individual or institute that throw a stone towards the woyanne illitrates and what i assure you is there is nothing which is not by far better than the absolute incapable woyanne not even good enough to rule Tegray let along Ethiopia this proud nation.
Alemu replies:
July 4th, 2012 at 10:07 PM
I respect your view and openion. I hope you do the same to mine.We are brothers or sisters after all eventhough we have different views. It is normal in the civilized world. It is taboo and cause of enomity in Ethiopian among pliticians not to the ordinary people whom I know when I was Woyane and fighting for my couse Which I assumed it is the couse of Ethiopian too. By the way let me go to my point. You don’t have another explantion ather than saying ” qumtam, kemalam, chigaram…
maybe meles is planning a massacre
Meles and his cohorts are behaving like scared rats. Mr Heinlein as husband of a diplomat has a right to use the car assigned to his diplomat spouse. The Ethiopian government spokesman has no rhyme or reason to accuse Mr. Heinlein of acting unprofessionally or illegally. Those same officials have been all these years unprofessionally and illegally jailing journalists and publishers? Who do they think they are – to be standing in judgment of others? What was the government trying to hide anyway? Was their intention to murder innocent muslim fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters? Does losing the 2005 election give them the right to ban peaceful demonstrations as laid down in the Ethiopian Constitution?
Nebelbal
You are a Woyyane agent trying to cause trouble and confusion among those fighting against the tyranny of the TPLF.
If you don’t stop what you are doing, I will publish your home address here.
If you think I don’t know who you are, I will give you below a few of the false names you use
Alula
Nebula
Nebelbal
Kkkkkkkkkkk
Dintinna
Gezaee H.
Nathnael
Next time, I will also list the fake names of the other agents as well. If they don’t behave, I will make public where they live.
Ahadu replies:
May 29th, 2012 at 10:48 AM
Nebula
Nebelbal
Kkkkkkkkkkk
Dintinna
Gezaee H.
Nathnael
Is one and the same woyanne cyber cadre Decipt ala woyanne
I think it is the begining of the Meles’s END
Nebelbal,
I agree with you!
Oh Solomon,
What is that means ? It doesn’t matter what he said.
Are we not democrats to express our opinions ?
So, why we need change ? Is that means, to do the same ?
If we are not respecting others opinion, where the tolerance ?
Where is the democratic idea ?
I suggest, to counter with civilized idea instead of threatening like you do who ever what ever says.
Fascist Meles wants to prove that he is not an American servant, he can imprison not only Ethiopian journalists and politicians but also American and European journalists. Swedish journalists are still languishing in woyane prison. This is only an indication the end of fascist Meles is approaching, he will not be saved either by China or Russia.
What is that Zinawi,the venomous has not done to harm Ethiopia and Ethiopians,and we keep X-ray eyes off him? Yes, he is cmpletely empty,and rolling down on the path to his final resting place,eternal prison,but not fully contained yet?
All Ethiopians,keep the faith,keep the fight.We shall never blink our eyes until we crush the enemy to its complete defeat.
Mr. Solomon, if you are democract, you ought to love every Ethiopian including those whom you do not love or those whom you hate like Woyane, for that matter anyone whom you perceive is a tigrignea speaker. That is the only way you can win the heart of every Ethiopian from north to south, from west to east. Otherwise, do not expect people have an obligation to believe in what you believe which is impossible. I have never heard of hatred being used as an ideology anywhere? thank you.
Solomon,in Tigrignea, what you are doing is called Aklitsbet? Aklitsbet = chinket = depression. Who cares damn whether you tell people where Alula lives,? if you are against anyone who have different beliefs from you? you are against everyone and you will not achieve anything as you have not achieved anything so far. Democracy = amhara supremacist= Solomon = Wahabist = shabia = G7? Solomon, you have not controlled your own life? but you trying to control the life and the breath of Ethiopian? it appears we all Ethiopians have to breath by your lung? and think by your brain? and hear by your ears? and see by your eyes? That will never happen in your life time. We were forced to speak ammharic only then? now we can speak any language? does this hurt you? if you do please hang yourself in your bedroom.
Ahadu replies:
May 29th, 2012 at 11:01 AM
Super Nova
Solomon,in Tigrignea, what you are doing is called Aklitsbet? Aklitsbet = chinket = depression
Do you really believe Ethiopians suffers of this chronic woyannes trade mark? You get this sympthom if you lies ,loot ,decipt ,kills,
and that is all woyanne cult. Unlike we are very proud and stand straight for our concious, pride ,civilization, Far sighted ,and big thinking seems the fight is between good and evil and the end the good will defeat the evil
I am a 70 yrs old person and religious. I am not a apolitician, rather it is better to say I am not interested in politics. I guess that attitude give me long life,with no high blood pressur, diabties, please name the rest for me.
In my youth time everyone knows what he needs. plan for what he wants. Another plan for what he wishes/desires. Everybody knows there is no free lunch,he has to work his butt off,save as much until the dream comes true.The modern Ethiopian youth abandened this core principle of sucess. The only motto is get rich quick, the only avenue is politics. Ethiopia can not afford that kind life style. The only money available is tax money from poor peasants,poor retailors and the like. When the citizens pay their taxes,they send a copy to their creator who order them to work hard and pay their fare share to the development of thier country’s health,education, infrastracture,anything their government ( of course through thier reprenatives) deemed beneficial to society.
Here is the problem.No respect for human life, To get what you do not deseve you have to kill your brothers or sisters or put them to jail for unjustifiable reason.Because they would tell you what you are doing is not right.Don’t cry for man, cry for truth,without it man is like a chair, everyone sit on him. we always wish for the feather weight.
So whatever you call him,our Creater is sad.In the mean time Woyane has come. So,you have to pay your fair share.Postpone your wish, save, there is no free lunch. One is not greater than one. One is always equal to one. we are one. One Ethiopians.Love and respect each other.Your cauntry will definatly needs you one day.
So long