(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has protested the Ethiopian government’s “unacceptable rigidity” after the arrest on 30 June 2005 of five more senior journalists and called on the international community to bear in mind this official treatment of the country’s independent press in its relations with Ethiopia. “Arrests of journalists are continuing because there is no serious […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has protested the Ethiopian government’s “unacceptable rigidity” after the arrest on 30 June 2005 of five more senior journalists and called on the international community to bear in mind this official treatment of the country’s independent press in its relations with Ethiopia.
“Arrests of journalists are continuing because there is no serious political pressure on the government,” the organisation said, noting that the editors of four privately-owned Addis Ababa weeklies had been formally charged with libel on 28 June.
“Peacefully working as a journalist is impossible in these circumstances.”
The latest arrests were of Taye Belachew (senior editor), Tadesse Kebede (editor-in-chief) and Tegist Abrham (deputy editor-in-chief), all of the Amharic-language weekly “Lisane Hezeb”, and Fassil Yenalem, editor-in-chief of “Addis Zena”, and Daniel Gezahegne, editor-in-chief of “Moged”. The three “Lisane Hezeb” journalists, who were accused of printing a photo of the brutal arrest of two young demonstrators early last month, were freed on bail of 1,000 birr ($US113; 95 euros) by a court. The public prosecutor will now decide whether to take the matter further.
The two other journalists were released after making a statement to police about printing a reader’s letter criticising the silence of the Orthodox Church about the police crackdown on post-election disturbances.
