Ethiopia: IPI expresses concern for safety of two journalists held by authorities

IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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ACTION ALERT - ETHIOPIA

10 February 2005

IPI expresses concern for safety of two journalists held by authorities

SOURCE: International Press Institute (IPI), Vienna

(IPI/IFEX) - The following is an IPI letter to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi:

His Excellency Meles Zenawi
Prime Minister of Ethiopia
Office of the Prime Minister
P O Box 1031
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia

Fax: +251 1 552 020

Vienna, 10 February 2005

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors,
leading journalists and media executives, is writing to you to express its
grave concern for the safety of two Ethiopian journalists held by the
authorities.

According to IPI's sources, two journalists, Dhabassa Wakjira and Shiferaw
Insarmu, who both worked for the Oromo-language television service, are
currently being held by the Ethiopian authorities. The two journalists have
been accused of passing information to the rebel Oromo Liberation Front
(OLF).

Originally arrested by the Ethiopian authorities in late April 2004, the
Federal High Court ordered the journalists released on bail. Shiferaw made
bail and was released from detention on 9 August 2004. Regarding Dhabassa,
the authorities ignored the court order and kept him in detention.

On 17 August 2004, Shiferaw was re-arrested. Once again the Federal High
Court ordered the journalist to be released on bail. When released, Shiferaw
requested the right to return to work as a journalist, but his application
was denied. The authorities subsequently re-arrested Shiferaw and took him
into custody on 11 January 2005.

Based on local newspaper reports, both journalists are being held in
darkened rooms and there are allegations they have been tortured. Neither of
the journalists has received medical attention.

Aside from Shiferaw and Dhabassa, up to 12 Oromo journalists have fled the
country since March 2004 as the result of the government's repression. Many
of these journalists fled to countries such as Kenya or Egypt, while others
are in Europe or the United States.

Journalists who fled to countries bordering Ethiopia live in fear of
retribution from the Ethiopian authorities, while others are having
difficulty surviving and are in dire need of assistance from the United
Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

With regard to the treatment of Dhabassa and Shiferaw, IPI is deeply
concerned that the Ethiopian authorities have failed to observe proper legal
procedures. The decision to ignore the Federal High Court not only flouts
Ethiopian law, it undermines the independence of the judiciary and the
separation of powers. The Ethiopian judiciary should be the final arbiters
in this matter and the case provides further evidence to the international
community that the executive is undermining the rule of law in the country.

Moreover, the decision to release Shiferaw and then to re-arrest him is
little short of an officially sanctioned attempt at playing "cat and mouse"
with the defendant; either the authorities have sufficient evidence against
him or they do not. Either way such evidence should be presented to the
courts for their sole determination.

Instead, based on these facts, it appears that the authorities are using the
Ethiopian legal system to punish the journalists while at the same time
seeking to gather evidence that the two are guilty of an offence.
Fundamental to the legal process is the underlying principle that defendants
should be proven to be guilty and that the prosecuting authorities should,
within a reasonable time, prove the offence.

In the case of Shiferaw and Dhabassa, it appears that authorities have
turned this essential principle on its head. In essence they have arrested
the two journalists and are only now seeking to prove the allegations
against them. IPI believes that the authorities have failed to make a case
to the satisfaction of the courts. On this basis, both journalists should be
released immediately.

IPI is also deeply concerned that the Ethiopian constitution's commitment to
press freedom is not being upheld in the Oromo region. The Ethiopian
government appears to have waged a war against the journalists in this area;
a war that has decimated the media profession, preventing the free flow of
information and causing numerous journalists to flee the country.

With this in mind, IPI calls on the Ethiopian government to accept the
decisions of the Federal High Court and to release Shiferaw and Dhabassa. In
addition, IPI invites the government to uphold its international and
domestic commitments to a free and open media.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Johann P. Fritz
Director

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Send appeals to the prime minister:
- expressing concern that the Ethiopian Constitution's commitment to press
freedom is not being upheld in the Oromo region
- calling on the government to accept the decisions of the Federal High
Court and to release Shiferaw and Dhabassa
- urging the government to uphold its international and domestic commitments
to a free and open media

APPEALS TO:

His Excellency Meles Zenawi
Prime Minister of Ethiopia
Office of the Prime Minister
P O Box 1031
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Fax: +251 1 552 020

Please copy appeals to the source if possible.

For further information, contact IPI at Spiegelgasse 2/29, A-1010 Vienna,
Austria, tel: +43 1 512 90 11, fax: +43 1 512 90 14, e-mail: Michael Kudlak
at [email protected], Diana Orlova at [email protected], or David Dadge
at [email protected], Internet site: http://www.freemedia.at

The information contained in this action alert is the sole responsibility of
IPI. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit
IPI.
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