Ethiopia: Editor-in-chief jailed in Addis Ababa

ACTION ALERT - ETHIOPIA
> 10 July, 02
>
> Editor-in-chief jailed in Addis Ababa
>
> SOURCE: Ethiopian Free press Journalists' Association (EFJA)
>
> Details:
>
> On 10 July 2002, Tewodros Kassa, former editor-in-chief of the
Amharic-language
> weekly "Ethop", was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison. The
charge
> resulted from three 2001 "Ethop" newspaper, no.101,112, 118, articles.
>
> The prosecutor said that, "...by publishing such articles the accused has
> charged with violating article 10/20/1/ of Press Proclamation no. 34/1985
and
> article 480 (b) of the Penal Code.
>
> The First Criminal Bench of Federal High Court had sentenced Tewodros
Kassa, to
> two year inprison "after the court established that he was guilty of
> disseminating in his newspaper fabricated information that could incite
people
> to political violence, defaming and degrading the good reputation of
"Mr.Duki"
> by disseminating false information through the newspaper". Tewodros Kassa
began
> his prison term the same day (10 July 2002)
>
> It is to be recalled that the Federal High Court had on June 2/2000
sentenced
> Tewodros Kassa to one year in prison after the court established that he
was
> guilty of disseminating in his newspaper fabricated information that could
> incite people to political violence.
>
> After completing his one year jail term (March 2001), Tewodros Kassa was
> fighting his case for the three charges.
>
> During the last five months, seven journalists were inprisoned, two
journalists
> are still in jail, at least twenty journalists have been either summoned
to
> court to face criminal charges or questioned by authorities because of
their
> writing. More than thirty-seven Ethiopian journalists currently face
criminal
> charges for practicing journalism. Because courts often impose exorbitant
bail
> requirements, many also face potential jail time.
>
> Today, the fact that journalists continue to be regularly prosecuted and
> incarcerated for their work demonstrates that the threats to press freedom
in
> Ethiopia are systemic. This problem will not be resolved until the Press
> Proclamation and criminal defamation laws are repealed and the Penal Code
is
> modified.
>
> RECOMMENDED ACTION:
>
> Send appeals to the Prime minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and
Minister of
> Justice
> - urging them to release Lubaba Said and Tewodros Kassa immediately, to
drop
> pending charges against more than thirty-seven other Ethiopian
journalists, and
> to stop prosecuting journalists for doing their jobs
> - asking them to do everything within their power to ensure that the Press
> Proclamation and all other legislation that criminalizes press offenses
are
> repealed
>
> APPEALS TO:
>
> 1)His Excellency Prime Minister Meles Zenawi
> Office of the Prime Minister
> P.O. Box 1031
> Fax: 00 251 -1- 552020
>
> 2) H.E Ato Siyum Mesfin
> Minister of Foreign Affairs
> Fax: 01- 5143 00
>
> 3) H.E Ato Harka Hariye
> Minister of Justice
> Fax: 00 251 1 517775
> Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
>
> c/o National Parliament
> E-mail: [email protected]
>
> Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
>
> The Ethiopian Free Press Journalists' Association (EFJA)
>
> Kifle Mulat
> President, EFJA
>
> **The information contained in this autolist item is the sole
responsibility of
> EFJA**