Ethiopian opposition journalists jailed for up to 10 years

Addis Ababa – Rights organisation, Reporters Without Borders, has condemned the verdict and sentence: “The president's earlier pardoning of four journalists (on 20 July) raised hopes that the disproportionate punishment of journalists was ending. It is disgraceful that the newly sentenced journalists have to depend on the government's whim for their release when in fact their right to freedom of expression should be fully recognised,” the worldwide press freedom organisation said.

Editors Wosonseged Gebrekidan, of the weekly Addis Zena, and Dawit Kebede, of Hadar, had been in prison since November 2005 and were each given four-year sentences this week (30 July) for “conspiracy to subvert the government.” They were arrested after opposition demonstrations against fraud in the 2005 parliamentary elections.

Goshu Moges, of the weekly Lisane Hezeb, was given a 10-year sentence on 27 July for “belonging to an illegal political organisation.” He was arrested in February 2006 after writing an article criticising government harassment of the opposition and journalists.

Twelve journalists arrested in 2005 have been released from prison since April, four of them after a presidential pardon.

Source: Reporters Without Borders