Ethiopia: Former editor still detained and unable to raise bail

IFEX Autolist (other news of interest)
From: Writers in Prison Committee, International PEN, [email protected]

RAPID ACTION NETWORK

23 April 2004

RAN 19/04

Ethiopia: Former editor still detained and unable to raise bail

The Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN is concerned by the
continued detention of Ethiopia journalist, Merid Estifanos, who has been unable
to raise the elevated bail demanded of him.

Estifanos, the former editor of the independent Amharic weekly newspaper
Satenaw, appeared in court on 2 April 2004 to face charges of defamation. He had
been led to believe that the charge referred to an alleged defamation of the
Ethiopian foreign minister Seyum Mesfin. However, in court, he discovered he was
also being charged with defamation of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

Despite the fact that Estifanos apparently presented a document attesting to the
fact that he had been unable to appear at an earlier hearing due to illness, the
court quadrupled his bail from 1000 Birr (c. US$120) to 4000Birr (c. US$480) on
the grounds of the earlier non-appearance. Since Estifanos was unable to raise
this sum, he was sent to the central prison in Addis Ababa, where he remains to
date.

The two charges stem from a September 2001 Satenaw opinion piece entitled 'The
Hidden Agenda of Prime Minister Meles' which accused the Prime Minister of being
a supporter of Eritrea; and a June 2001 article entitled 'Foreign Minister Seyum
Mesfin isolated himself from the ruling party.

Although International PEN cannot comment on whether the articles were
defamatory or not, it considers that the detention of writers for alleged
defamation is wholly disproportionate to the offence, and that such cases should
be dealt with through civil courts. PEN thus calls upon the Ethiopian
authorities to release Merid Estifanos and to drop all criminal charges against
him. PEN also reiterates its call for the release of Tewodros Kassa, who has
been serving a two-year sentence since July 2002 for allegedly disseminating
false information.

Please send appeals:
- Urging the Ethiopian authorities to release Merid Estifanos and to drop all
criminal charges against him;
- Calling for the release of Tewodros Kassa.

Appeals to:
H.E. Ato Meles Zenawi
Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Office of the Prime Minister
P.O. Box 1031
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Fax: +251 1 552 020 [This fax number works intermittently.]

H.E. Ato Seyum Mesfin
Minister of Foreign Affairs
c/o National Parliament
Fax: +251 1 514 300

H.E. Ato Harka Hariye
Minister of Justice
c/o National Parliament
Fax: +251 1 517 775

E-mail for all the above: [email protected]

Please also send copies to the Ethiopian representative in your country.

For further details contact Dixe Wills at the Writers in Prison Committee London
Office: 9-10 Charterhouse Buildings, London EC1M 7AT UK Tel: + 44 (0) 20 72 53
32 26 Fax: + 44 (0) 20 72 53 57 11 e-mail: [email protected]

**The information contained in this autolist item is the sole responsibility of
WiPC**