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Ethiopia Charges Opposition Figures, Reporter
With Terrorism
11 November, 2011 | Peter Heinlein (Voice Of America)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two leaders of Ethiopia's Unity for Democracy and Justice Party,
Andualem Arage and Natnael Mekonnen, stood alongside columnist
Eskinder Nega in federal court Thursday to hear the charges against
them. Most of the six charges involve alleged violations of an anti-
terrorism law that has come in for harsh criticism from human rights
and press freedom groups.
The trio were among the opposition figures arrested in police
sweeps in September. They have since been held without bail.
Former Ethiopian president Negaso Gidada, who attended the
proceedings, told VOA by telephone that Natnael told the court he
had been abused repeatedly in custody.
"Natnael complained that for 23 days he was beaten, his clothes
were taken, he was left naked, water dumped on him and he was
not allowed to sleep, and he had been physically and
[psychologically] abused," said Negaso.
Five other defendants also were in the courtroom to hear the
charges, but observers attending the proceeding said it was not
immediately clear who the others were. Sixteen more were charged
in absentia, many of them believed to be living in exile in Europe and
North America.
Prominent among the absent defendants was Berhanu Nega.
Berhanu was elected mayor of Addis Ababa in 2005, but did not
take office and was jailed as part of the government's crackdown on
post-election demonstrations. He later fled to the United States,
where he heads Ginbot 7, a group dedicated to overthrowing Prime
Minister Meles Zenawi's government.
Ginbot 7 is named for the Ethiopian calendar date of the disputed
2005 election. The group is outlawed under the anti-terrorism
legislation.
Berhanu was convicted in another terrorism case last year, and
received a death sentence in absentia.
Natnael and Andualem had been considered rising stars in Ethiopia's
weak political opposition. The opposition won only one seat in the
547-seat parliament last year, making Ethiopia a de facto one-party
state.
In a country dominated by state-run media, Eskinder Nega had
been one of the few outspoken policy critics of Prime Minister
Meles and the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic
Front. He and his newspaper publisher wife were among those
jailed following the 2005 election.
After they were freed, the government denied them publishing
licenses, but Eskinder continued to contribute his scathing criticisms
of government policy, mostly to foreign-based opposition websites.
Prime Minister Meles told a nationally-televised session of
parliament last month the government has concrete evidence of
journalists' involvement in terrorist activities. He said many reporters
working in the country are operating as "messenger boys" for
terrorist groups.
The Committee to Protect Journalists [CPJ] lists Ethiopia and
neighboring Eritrea as among the foremost jailers of journalists. CPJ
research shows eight reporters currently are imprisoned in Ethiopia.
Courtesy
With Terrorism
11 November, 2011 | Peter Heinlein (Voice Of America)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Ethiopia has formally
charged 24 people,
including senior
opposition politicians
and an outspoken
Internet journalist,
with plotting terrorist
acts to create public
chaos. Eight of the
defendants appeared
in court to hear the
charges, while the
Two leaders of Ethiopia's Unity for Democracy and Justice Party,
Andualem Arage and Natnael Mekonnen, stood alongside columnist
Eskinder Nega in federal court Thursday to hear the charges against
them. Most of the six charges involve alleged violations of an anti-
terrorism law that has come in for harsh criticism from human rights
and press freedom groups.
The trio were among the opposition figures arrested in police
sweeps in September. They have since been held without bail.
Former Ethiopian president Negaso Gidada, who attended the
proceedings, told VOA by telephone that Natnael told the court he
had been abused repeatedly in custody.
"Natnael complained that for 23 days he was beaten, his clothes
were taken, he was left naked, water dumped on him and he was
not allowed to sleep, and he had been physically and
[psychologically] abused," said Negaso.
Five other defendants also were in the courtroom to hear the
charges, but observers attending the proceeding said it was not
immediately clear who the others were. Sixteen more were charged
in absentia, many of them believed to be living in exile in Europe and
North America.
Prominent among the absent defendants was Berhanu Nega.
Berhanu was elected mayor of Addis Ababa in 2005, but did not
take office and was jailed as part of the government's crackdown on
post-election demonstrations. He later fled to the United States,
where he heads Ginbot 7, a group dedicated to overthrowing Prime
Minister Meles Zenawi's government.
Ginbot 7 is named for the Ethiopian calendar date of the disputed
2005 election. The group is outlawed under the anti-terrorism
legislation.
Berhanu was convicted in another terrorism case last year, and
received a death sentence in absentia.
Natnael and Andualem had been considered rising stars in Ethiopia's
weak political opposition. The opposition won only one seat in the
547-seat parliament last year, making Ethiopia a de facto one-party
state.
In a country dominated by state-run media, Eskinder Nega had
been one of the few outspoken policy critics of Prime Minister
Meles and the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic
Front. He and his newspaper publisher wife were among those
jailed following the 2005 election.
After they were freed, the government denied them publishing
licenses, but Eskinder continued to contribute his scathing criticisms
of government policy, mostly to foreign-based opposition websites.
Prime Minister Meles told a nationally-televised session of
parliament last month the government has concrete evidence of
journalists' involvement in terrorist activities. He said many reporters
working in the country are operating as "messenger boys" for
terrorist groups.
The Committee to Protect Journalists [CPJ] lists Ethiopia and
neighboring Eritrea as among the foremost jailers of journalists. CPJ
research shows eight reporters currently are imprisoned in Ethiopia.
Courtesy
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