Ethiopia arrests at least five journalists during state of emergency

Nairobi, March 26, 2018--The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Ethiopian authorities to release five journalists. Security forces yesterday arrested Eskinder Nega, Temesghen Desalegn, Zone 9 bloggers Befekadu Hailu and Mahlet Fantahun,and Zelalem Workagegnehu, who were gathered at

For Immediate Release – Upcoming US House of Representatives Vote on H.Res 128

Patriotic Ginbot 7 Movement for Unity and Democracy

March 23, 2018

For Immediate Release

Upcoming US House of Representatives Vote on H.Res 128

Patriotic Ginbot 7 Movement for Unity and Democracy would like to extend its heartfelt gratitude to Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy for scheduling H.Res 128 for the House vote on April 9, 2018. We would also like to thank Rep. Christopher Smith, Chairman of the House subcommittee on Africa for sponsoring H.Res 128 “Supporting respect for human rights and encouraging inclusive governance in Ethiopia”.

In Ethiopia, there is no difference between two third majority and simple majority

The last three months (December, January and February) have been the most dramatic triplets of month in Ethiopia since the TPLF/EPRDF regime took power in May 1991. The seemingly endless EPRDF and member party meetings, the resignation of PM Haile Mariam Desalegn, and the proclamation of the second state of emergency (SOE) in as many years all took place between December 2017 and February 2018. The most dramatic of the three, the proclamation of the state of emergency, was approved by the Ethiopian parliament yesterday in the most bizarre way never

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

 
Click Here for Full Report – Ethiopian regime practices
(US Department of State) — Ethiopia is officially a federal republic. The ruling Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), a coalition of four ethnically based parties, controls the government. In May 2015 elections the EPRDF and affiliated parties won all 547 House of People’s Representatives seats to remain in power for a fifth consecutive five-year term. In October 2015 parliament elected Hailemariam Desalegn as prime minister. Government restrictions severely limited independent observation of the vote. A mission from the African Union, the sole international institution or organization permitted

Protest in Ginchi, Oromo region, erupts again

Sporadic protest is still continuing in the Oromo Region of Ethiopia against the minority regime for political and economic rights.

Protests flared up in Ginchi on Tuesday and schools, transportation and other services were interrupted in the town. Ginchi town was where the protest in the Oromo region began six months ago sparked by governments attempt to implement a masterplan for the capital city that would expand the city limits to the surrounding Oromo farming communities.

Residents told ESAT that the town was still under the control of the regime’s army and security but their protest would continue until their demands

No Let Up in Crackdown on Protests

(Nairobi) – Ethiopian security forces are violently suppressing the largely peaceful protests in the Oromia region that began in November 2015. Almost daily accounts of killings and arbitrary arrests have been reported to Human Rights Watch since 2016 began.
Security forces, including military personnel, have fatally shot scores of demonstrators. Thousands of people have been arrested and remain in detention without charge. While the frequency of protests appears to have decreased in the last few weeks, the crackdown continues.

EXPAND

Protesters in Oromia region, Ethiopia, December 2015.“Flooding Oromia with federal security forces shows the authorities’ broad disregard for peaceful protest by students, farmers and

Ethiopia: Lethal Force Against Protesters

Military Deployment, Terrorism Rhetoric Risk Escalating Violence

(Nairobi) – Ethiopian security forces have killed dozens of protesters since November 12, 2015, in Oromia regional state, according to reports from the region. The security forces should stop using excessive lethal force against protesters.

Police and military forces have fired on demonstrations, killing at least 75 protesters and wounding many others, according to activists. Government officials have acknowledged only five deaths and said that an undisclosed number of security force members have also been killed. On December 15, the government announced that protesters had a “direct connection with

The United States Concerned By Clashes in Oromia, Ethiopia

The United States is deeply concerned by the recent clashes in the Oromia region of Ethiopia that reportedly have resulted in the deaths of numerous protestors. We greatly regret the deaths that have occurred and express our condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives.

We urge the government of Ethiopia to permit peaceful protest and commit to a constructive dialogue to address legitimate grievances. We also urge those protesting to refrain from violence and to be open to dialogue. The government of Ethiopia has stated publicly that the disputed development plans will not be implemented without further public consultation. We support the government of Ethiopia’s stated commitment to those consultations and urge it to convene stakeholders to engage in dialogue as soon as possible.

Mark C.toner

Dispatches: Yet Again, a Bloody Crackdown on Protesters in Ethiopia

Student protests are spreading throughout Ethiopia’s Oromia region, as people demonstrate against the possibility that Oromo farmers and residents living near the capital, Addis Ababa, could be evicted from their lands without appropriate – or possibly any – compensation. Social media is filled with images of bloodied protesters; there are credible reports of injuries and arrests in a number of towns; and local police have publicly acknowledged that three students have died so far.

The current protests echo the bloody events of April and May 2014, when federal forces

Ethiopia denies imprisoned journalist visitation rights, medical treatment

Local friends and relatives of journalist Temesghen Desalegn, who is serving a three-year jail term, said that Ethiopian prison authorities in Ziway Prison have denied him medical treatment and all prison visits.

A court in the capital, Addis Ababa, convicted Temesghen on October 27, 2014, on charges of defamation, incitement, and false publication in connection with a series of opinion pieces published in 2012 in the now-defunct Feteh ("Justice") newsmagazine, according to a translated copy of the charge sheet in CPJ's possession. Two of the articles discussed the peaceful struggle of Ethiopian youth movements for political change and two columns criticized alleged government efforts

Ethiopia: World Bank Translator, Activists Face Trial

Activists Heading for Food Workshop Charged With Terrorism

(Nairobi) – Ethiopian authorities should immediately drop all charges and release a former World Bank translator and two other local activists charged under Ethiopia’s repressive counterterrorism law after trying to attend a workshop on food security in Nairobi, six international development and human rights groups said today.

Zone 9 Bloggers Winners of the 2015 CPJ Press Freedom Award

(CPJ) – In April 2014, Ethiopian authorities arrested six bloggers affiliated with the Zone 9 collective. The bloggers–Abel Wabella, Atnaf Berhane, Mahlet Fantahun, Natnail Feleke, Zelalem Kibret, and Befekadu Hailu–were charged with terrorism.

The Zone 9 blogging collective was formed in May 2012 in response to the evisceration of the independent press and the narrowing of space for free expression. The name, “Zone 9,” is derived from the zones in Kality Prison, the main jail where Ethiopia’s political prisoners, including several journalists, are held. While Kality Prison is organized into eight different zones, the bloggers refer to the

Walking into danger: migrants still head to Yemen

HARGEISA, 11 August 2015 (IRIN) - Qader and Abdi are two weeks into their journey. Carrying only one empty plastic water bottle each, flattened, with no liquid to return it to its cylindrical shape, the two men figure they will be walking for another month-and-a-half before they reach the sea. From there, they will take a smuggler boat the short distance to Yemen, where another 600-kilometre walk lies ahead before they may reach their final destination, Saudi Arabia.

The pair – members of Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group, the Oromo, which activists charge is systematically disenfranchised by the government – are walking along an uncrowded road connecting the capital of Somaliland, Hargeisa, to a northern port city.

Ethiopian Opposition Group Threatens Armed Resistance

Ethiopian opposition figure Berhanu Nega, have moved from the US to Eritrea.


Ethiopia’s opposition Ginbot 7 Movement for Unity and Democracy has decided to use armed resistance in addition to peaceful resistance against the government in Addis Ababa. This follows the move of the group’s leader from the United States to Eritrea.

Berhanu Nega travelled to Ethiopia’s northern neighbor following the merger of his Ginbot 7 with the Ethiopian People’s Patriotic Front. “It’s true he travelled to Eritrea, he went on July 17, 2015,” said the spokesman for the group, Dr. Tadesse Biru.

“He is the leader of an organization that strives to bring about democratic order in Ethiopia, and he

ፖለቲካ ሀጢአት የሆነባት አገር[ናትናኤል በርሔ /ኖርዌይ/]

ፖለቲካ ሀጢአት የሆነባት አገር[ናትናኤል በርሔ /ኖርዌይ/]

FREEDOM OF THE PRESS 2015 Report

Press freedom in Ethiopia declined in 2014 as the government launched a crackdown on journalists and bloggers ahead of the May 2015 elections. Among those arrested were six members of the Zone 9 blogging collective who regularly wrote on issues of human rights and governance. The government of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn continued to use the draconian antiterrorism law to stifle dissent, targeting both print and online journalists, with some prosecuted in absentia. Others faced charges such as defamation. With 17 journalists behind bars as of December 1, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Ethiopia was the second-worst jailer of journalists in Africa, after Eritrea.

Legal Environment

While the constitution guarantees freedom of the press, the 2005 criminal code contains many provisions that limit this right, including restrictions on “obscene” communication, defamation, and criticism of public officials. In April 2014, the state-owned broadcaster—the Ethiopian Radio and Television Agency (ERTA)—was found guilty of defaming the opposition Unity for Democracy and Justice party in

Ethiopia: The Election That Isn’t

Ethiopia’s upcoming national elections on May 24 are the first to be held since the 2012 death of longtime Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who presided over a highly repressive political system that decimated the country’s independent media and civil society. Initially, there was a guarded hope that the ruling party—the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF)—might ease restrictions and allow some level of competition, in order to appease growing discontent with its authoritarian rule and maintain stability within its own ranks.

However, this hope has been dashed over the past year, as EPRDF has cracked down on dissent and used its thorough control over state institutions to cripple the opposition and block any threat to its 24 years of entrenched political dominance.

Control of the media and public discussion

The space for public dissent has long been constrained by a host of draconian laws, media censorship, and aggressive prosecutions. But the government signaled its intent to silence any remaining criticism ahead of the 2015 elections in April 2014, when it arrested six members of the Zone 9 blogging collective along with three

Free Zone 9 Bloggers, Journalists

(Nairobi) – Ethiopian authorities should immediately release nine bloggers and journalists arrested a year ago who are being prosecuted on politically motivated charges, Human Rights Watch said today. The six bloggers, who belong to the Zone 9 blogging collective, and three journalists were arrested on April 25 and 26, 2014, in a coordinated sweep in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. They were charged under the criminal code and anti-terrorism law for having links to banned opposition groups and trying to violently overthrow the government.

In the past year the court in the Zone 9 bloggers trial has adjourned 27 times, prolonging the case seemingly unnecessarily. The unreasonable delays, lack of access to lawyers, and various procedural irregularities raise serious concerns about the defendants’ rights to due process and a fair trial, Human Rights Watch said. The next hearing is scheduled for May 26, 2015, two days after Ethiopia’s general

Ethiopians talk of violent intimidation as their land is earmarked for foreign investors

The human cost of Ethiopia’s “villagisation” programme is laid bare by damning first person testimony published on Tuesday.

The east African country has long faced criticism for forcibly relocating tens of thousands of people from their ancestral homes to make way for large scale commercial agriculture, often benefiting foreign investors. Those moved to purpose-built communes are allegedly no longer able to farm or access education, healthcare and other basic services.

The victims of land grabbing and displacement are given a rare voice in We Say the Land is

Ethiopia denies Temesghen Desalegn access to medical care in jail

Nairobi, March 16, 2015--Authorities in Ethiopia have denied medical attention to Ethiopian journalist Temesghen Desalegn, who has been imprisoned since October, according to sources close to the journalist. 

Temesghen Desalegn, owner of the now-defunctnewsmagazine Feteh (Justice), is serving a three-year term in Ziway Prison, outside Addis Ababa, on charges of defamation, incitement, and false publication in connection with a series of opinion pieces he wrote in Feteh in 2012, according to news reports and a translation of the charge sheet that CPJ reviewed.

Sources close to Temesghen, including two who visit him in prison, told CPJ that