Ethiopia

(EFJA/IFEX) – The following is a 4 May 2003 EFJA press release: World Press Freedom Day celebrated for a second year in a row World Press Freedom Day – 2003 was colorfully celebrated on 3 May 2003, for the second time at EFJA’s office. The event took place in the presence of members of the […]

(EFJA/IFEX) – Melese Shine, editor-in-chief of the Amharic weekly newspaper “It’op”, has been charged with violating Article 10(2)(b) and Article 20/11 of Press Proclamation No. 34/85/EC and Article 480(1) of the Penal Code. He has been charged with defaming the administrator of Ras Desta hospital, Melkamu Gettu, in an article published in issue 8/320 of […]

(EFJA/IFEX) – On 14 April 2003, Ato Melese Gessit, the former editor-in-chief of “Gemoraw” newspaper, was fined 11,000 Ethiopian birr (approx. US$1,300) by the Third Criminal Bench of the Federal High Court. He is accused of violating Articles 10(1) and 20(1) of Press Proclamation No. 34/85 and Articles 480(b) and 580(1) of the Penal Code. […]

(WiPC/IFEX) – The WiPC of International PEN welcomes the release of Lubaba Said on 8 January 2003, confirmation of which has just been received. Said, the former editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Tarik”, was handed down a one-year sentence on 3 April 2002 for “fabricating news that could have a negative psychological effect on members of […]

(EFJA/IFEX) – The following is a 14 February 2003 EFJA statement: Hunting down of news vendors must stop Vendors of Ethiopian free press publications have told us that they are being hunted down and detained, and their newspapers are being snatched from them by police. The police are engaged in such acts at a time […]

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – The following is a 13 February 2003 ARTICLE 19 press release: The Legal Framework for Freedom of Expression in Ethiopia ARTICLE 19 today released a report on the current legal framework for freedom of expression in Ethiopia. ARTICLE 19 believes that the report will inform the ongoing dialogue in Ethiopia on the […]

(EFJA/IFEX) – The following is an 8 February 2003 EFJA press release: Journalists of the Ethiopian free press, publishers and media professionals issue joint statement in protest against the new draft press law A workshop that discussed the new draft press law was held at the Semien Hotel hall on Saturday, February 8, 2003. The […]

(HRW/IFEX) – The following is a Human Rights Watch press release: Ethiopia’s Educated Suffer Government Repression (New York, January 24, 2003) – The Ethiopian government is muzzling educators and students with a policy of harsh repression that includes extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and widespread denials of freedom of opinion and association, Human Rights Watch said […]

(EFJA/IFEX) – The following is a 17 January 2003 EFJA statement: The very existence of EFJA is at a risk! The right of citizens to freedom of expression has, for ages, been brutally suppressed in countries like Ethiopia, where democratic systems have not been established. After the EPRDF (Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front) put the […]

(EFJA/IFEX) – On 27 December 2002, police beat Yonas Wolde Senbet, a reporter for the “Tobbia” newspaper, and took his tape recorder. The incident occurred during clashes between the laity, who had congregated at the “Lideta” Church (an Orthodox church in Addis Ababa) grounds, and a Special Federal Police Force. According to information gathered by […]

(EFJA/IFEX) – The following is a 17 August 2002 EFJA statement: Position statement issued by Ethiopian free press journalists and media professionals on the new press law and the Journalists’ Code of Ethics that is in the process of being drafted by the government. The Ethiopian Free Press Journalists’ Association (EFJA), its entire membership, free […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a CPJ press release: CPJ DELEGATION CALLS ON GOVERNMENT OF ETHIOPIA TO STOP RESTRICTIONS ON JOURNALISTS Addis Ababa, July 25, 2002-After a five-day fact-finding mission to Ethiopia, a delegation from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has found that the Ethiopian government is planning alarming changes to the country’s 10-year-old […]

(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) – Melese Shine, editor-in-chief of the weekly “Ethiop”, was released on bail of 12,000 birr (approx. US$1,440) on 25 June 2002. He had been detained since 19 March when he was charged with publishing and disseminating an article defaming the head of government, and publishing an interview with an alleged member of an illegal […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – In an 8 April 2002 letter to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, CPJ expressed outrage over the ongoing prosecution and imprisonment of journalists in Ethiopia. CPJ noted that it is particularly concerned about Lubaba Said and Melese Shine, two local journalists who are currently in jail for their work. On 3 April, Said, former […]

(EFJA/IFEX) – On 1 April 2002, the Third Criminal Bench of the Federal High court ordered Melese Shine, editor-in-chief of “Ethiop” newspaper and magazine, to appear in court on 17 May for a third criminal charge that has been filed against him. Shine is presently remanded in custody because he has been unable to pay […]