Ethiopian Newspaper Shuts Down,
Editors Flee
Press-freedom groups are expressing concern about the
state of Ethiopia's independent media as the country
prepares for national elections
6 December, 2009 | Peter Heinlein
for national elections.
As campaigning begins to heat up for next May's parliamentary
vote, Ethiopia is without one of its few independent political
voices. Addis Neger, a weekly Amharic-language newspaper
known for its lively discussion of political issues, printed its final
edition Saturday.
In a news release, the paper's editors blamed their decision to close
on what they called 'another crackdown on free speech and
freedom of the press in Ethiopia'. Managing Editor Mesfin Negash
was quoted as saying, 'the government ... habit of aggressively
stepping into the [area of controlling] public opinion ... had made
[their] task impossible'.
The news release carried a Washington dateline, and noted three of
the paper's top editors had left the country after learning the
government was preparing criminal charges against them based on
a new anti-terrorism law.
Attempts by VOA to reach Ethiopian government spokesmen
Saturday and Sunday were unsuccessful. A news release issued by
the media freedom group Reporters Without Borders quoted
government communications minister Bereket Simon as saying the
government had no intention of targeting the newspaper.
But a government paper recently carried a number of opinion
columns containing scathing criticisms of Addis Neger.
In a telephone interview from the United States, Addis Neger's
Editor-in-Chief Tamerat Negera told VOA his staff became
frightened when the government paper publicly accused them of
violating Ethiopia's tough anti-terrorism law.
"The government official daily newspaper, Addis Zemen was
publishing repeated articles incriminating us with and associating us
as terrorists with an intention to destroy Ethiopia, the entire nation,
and as a threat to the stability and democracy of the country," said
Tamerat Negera.
Tamerat says he and his colleagues had been warned they were
facing long jail terms.
"We had reliable information from government sources that the
government was intending to prosecute the founders and the editors
of our newspaper with utmost possible highest charge which could
go as far as 20 years in jail, and we discussed this and decided this
is unbearable," he said.
Several human-rights and press freedom groups have expressed
concern about the anti-terrorism law and other recently approved
statutes they say could restrict freedom of expression.
Reporters Without Borders Saturday condemned what it calls 'a
climate of fear' prevailing in Ethiopia. The group's statement says
the specter of the media and opposition crackdown that followed
the disputed 2005 election is resurfacing before next May's vote.
Hundreds of demonstrators, political leaders, journalists and human-
rights activists were arrested in connection with the violent protests
that erupted following the 2005 election, in which the ruling
Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front retained power.
Thirteen newspapers were closed down in the aftermath of the
2005 protests. None reopened.
Addis Neger began publishing in September, 2007. Its circulation
of 30,000 made it one of Ethiopia's most widely read non-
government newspapers.
Courtesy
Check Also: Our Press Freedom Page
Editors Flee
Press-freedom groups are expressing concern about the
state of Ethiopia's independent media as the country
prepares for national elections
6 December, 2009 | Peter Heinlein
- One of Ethiopia's leading
weekly newspapers has
shut down and its senior
staff left the country in the
face of what they say is a
government campaign of
intimidation and black
propaganda. Press-
freedom groups are
expressing concern about
for national elections.
As campaigning begins to heat up for next May's parliamentary
vote, Ethiopia is without one of its few independent political
voices. Addis Neger, a weekly Amharic-language newspaper
known for its lively discussion of political issues, printed its final
edition Saturday.
In a news release, the paper's editors blamed their decision to close
on what they called 'another crackdown on free speech and
freedom of the press in Ethiopia'. Managing Editor Mesfin Negash
was quoted as saying, 'the government ... habit of aggressively
stepping into the [area of controlling] public opinion ... had made
[their] task impossible'.
The news release carried a Washington dateline, and noted three of
the paper's top editors had left the country after learning the
government was preparing criminal charges against them based on
a new anti-terrorism law.
Attempts by VOA to reach Ethiopian government spokesmen
Saturday and Sunday were unsuccessful. A news release issued by
the media freedom group Reporters Without Borders quoted
government communications minister Bereket Simon as saying the
government had no intention of targeting the newspaper.
But a government paper recently carried a number of opinion
columns containing scathing criticisms of Addis Neger.
In a telephone interview from the United States, Addis Neger's
Editor-in-Chief Tamerat Negera told VOA his staff became
frightened when the government paper publicly accused them of
violating Ethiopia's tough anti-terrorism law.
"The government official daily newspaper, Addis Zemen was
publishing repeated articles incriminating us with and associating us
as terrorists with an intention to destroy Ethiopia, the entire nation,
and as a threat to the stability and democracy of the country," said
Tamerat Negera.
Tamerat says he and his colleagues had been warned they were
facing long jail terms.
"We had reliable information from government sources that the
government was intending to prosecute the founders and the editors
of our newspaper with utmost possible highest charge which could
go as far as 20 years in jail, and we discussed this and decided this
is unbearable," he said.
Several human-rights and press freedom groups have expressed
concern about the anti-terrorism law and other recently approved
statutes they say could restrict freedom of expression.
Reporters Without Borders Saturday condemned what it calls 'a
climate of fear' prevailing in Ethiopia. The group's statement says
the specter of the media and opposition crackdown that followed
the disputed 2005 election is resurfacing before next May's vote.
Hundreds of demonstrators, political leaders, journalists and human-
rights activists were arrested in connection with the violent protests
that erupted following the 2005 election, in which the ruling
Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front retained power.
Thirteen newspapers were closed down in the aftermath of the
2005 protests. None reopened.
Addis Neger began publishing in September, 2007. Its circulation
of 30,000 made it one of Ethiopia's most widely read non-
government newspapers.
Courtesy
Check Also: Our Press Freedom Page
| All rights reserved. |
| Ethio Quest News Together We Can Make It! |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Ethio Quest News: For latest Ethiopian News, views, Reviews and More |
| Democratic Path Election - 2010 The Africans Human Rights Environment Education Spotlight Blah Blah Qoutables Links |
| Media Behavior |
| Forum for Democratic Discussions in Ethiopia UDJ and Medrek Unite " Homegrown opposition parties and Independents formed a discussion forum - namely," More also: report in Amharic by Ethiopia Zare Forum blasts Government over exclusionary politics Ethiopian parties form alliance.. |
| Yes, "information is power" " ...The free flow of information and the dissemination of knowledge pose imminent danger to the power of dictators." Professor Adugnaw Worku Listen to the voice "But why has the regime gone to such extremes to keep information from the Ethiopian people? ..." Ethio Media Common Ground Towards 'Truth' Truth and Media Ethics among the Diaspora Ethiopians By Alethia "..I’d also agree to a great extent that that is what motivates most of fellow Ethiopians in the Diaspora media and they have been doing tremendous jobs in that regard. But truth be told and here...." More The absent media By Mikael Deribe Media Manipulation and the United Nations War, Propaganda and the Media by Anup Shah |
| Abebe Gellaw slams Meles for keeping nation in darkness 6 May, 2009 | By H Daniel " Abebe, highlighted the efforts of the "one-man" government to block the free flow of information in Ethiopia...More |
| Ethiopian press freedom violations continue "Others familiar with the media in Ethiopia say that the press in Ethiopia is not free to criticise the government. Despite Zenawi being seen as...More |
| Ethiopian paper quits under government pressure AFP IPI Fact-Finding Mission Reports on Ethiopian Press Freedom IPI Ethiopia only Africa nation to filter Net Rebecca Wanjiku |
| Related Stories |
| In Ethiopia, an independent voice is silenced (Geoffrey York - Globe & Mail) |
Tamerat Negera,
Editor-in-chief, Addis Neger (አዲስ ነገር)
Editor-in-chief, Addis Neger (አዲስ ነገር)