(WiPC/IFEX) – WiPC of International PEN has condemned the two-year prison sentence handed down on 10 July 2002 to Tewodros Kassa on charges of disseminating false information. Kassa, former editor-in-chief of the weekly newspaper “Ethop”, was sentenced on the grounds that he had “fabricated information that could incite people to political violence” and had defamed […]
(WiPC/IFEX) – WiPC of International PEN has condemned the two-year prison sentence handed down on 10 July 2002 to Tewodros Kassa on charges of disseminating false information.
Kassa, former editor-in-chief of the weekly newspaper “Ethop”, was sentenced on the grounds that he had “fabricated information that could incite people to political violence” and had defamed a “Mr. Duki” by “disseminating false information through the newspaper”. The charges relate to three “Ethop” articles published in 2001. He began serving his sentence immediately.
Kassa was first imprisoned in June 2000, again for fabricating information that could incite people to political violence, a charge for which he served a one-year prison term (see IFEX alerts of 15 November and 12 June 2000).
Without passing judgment on the contents of the articles published in “Ethop”, International PEN believes that custodial sentences are wholly inappropriate when dealing with alleged offences of defamation and spreading false information. International PEN notes that the Ethiopian authorities have systematically used wide-ranging press laws to clamp down on opinions aired in the press that they deem to be anti-government.
International PEN recalls that Lubaba Said, the former editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Tarik”, was sentenced to one-year’s imprisonment on 3 April 2002 for “fabricating news that could have a negative psychological effect on members of the armed forces and disturb the minds of the people” (see IFEX alerts of 5 July, 9 and 4 April 2002).
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
– calling for the immediate release of Kassa and Said
– urging them to drop criminal charges against all journalists
– requesting that they repeal the oppressive press laws which run counter to the basic tenets of freedom of expression
Appeals To
His Excellency Prime Minister Meles Zenawi
Office of the Prime Minister
P.O. Box 1031
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Fax: +251 1 55 20 20
H.E. Ato Siyum Mesfin
Minister of Foreign Affairs
c/o National Parliament
Fax: +251 1 51 43 00
E-mail: national.parliament@telecom.net.et
H.E. Ato Harka Hariye
Minister of Justice
c/o National Parliament
Fax: +251 1 51 77 75
E-mail: national.parliament@telecom.net.et
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
