(EFJA/IFEX) – In a 2 December 2003 letter to EFJA, the Ministry of Justice’s Associations’ Registration Office announced that it was suspending the following EFJA executive committee members from their positions: 1. Kifle Mulat, President 2. Taye Belachew, Vice-President 3. Tamru Geda, Public Relations Head 4. Sisai Agena, Treasurer 5. Habtamu Assefa, Accountant In the […]
(EFJA/IFEX) – In a 2 December 2003 letter to EFJA, the Ministry of Justice’s Associations’ Registration Office announced that it was suspending the following EFJA executive committee members from their positions:
1. Kifle Mulat, President
2. Taye Belachew, Vice-President
3. Tamru Geda, Public Relations Head
4. Sisai Agena, Treasurer
5. Habtamu Assefa, Accountant
In the letter, the Associations’ Registration Office said it took the action based on allegations that the aforementioned executive committee members have not been willing to execute a series of orders it has issued. The suspension was effective as of 2 December.
The Associations’ Registration Office sent copies of the letter to the Ministry of Information, the Federal Police Commission, the Addis Ababa City Administration Police Commission and other government bodies, notifying them that the aforementioned members of EFJA’s executive committee do not represent the organisation and that the authorities should take appropriate action if they find these individuals engaged in activities associated with EFJA.
International press institutions and human rights organisations and activists are in the process of protesting a 10 November Associations’ Registration Office action, which ordered the EFJA to cease relations with third parties and forced the closure of its offices.
The Ethiopian government, in flagrant violation of the Constitution and international human rights declarations has suspended EFJA and the EFJA’s executive committee, which was elected by the organisation’s general assembly.
EFJA calls on the Ethiopian people and the international community to strongly condemn the measures taken by the government.
Members of EFJA will continue to vigorously defend their constitutional rights and freedoms. EFJA further urges its colleagues, international institutions, governments and those who support democracy and peace to respond immediately in support of Ethiopian free press journalists and the Ethiopian people’s call for freedom and democracy.
