November 9, 2001

HARASSMENT OF INDEPENDENT JOURNALISTS STEPPED UP

Official harassment and repression of independent journalists is on the rise as all indications show that the government seems to be decided upon the path of stifling the fledgling relatively independent journalists and newspapers. The appointment of Bereket Semon as Minister of Information has not augured well given the person's past history of intolerance and dogmatic partisanship to the ruling front in which he is a polit-bureau leader.

The Ethiopian Free Journalists Association (EFJA) has issued a new alert revealing that numerous journalists have been told by the Central Police (Makelawi) that charges are being processed against them to land them in court and in jail. Most of the journalists approached and harassed in this manner had already been detained or fined. Yohannes Abebe of GOH for example has been summoned by the police and informed that six new press charges are being processed against him. Arega Welde Kirkos, Meles Shine,Tilahun Bekele, Adane Hailu, Teshalegne Mengesha, Leykun Ingida and Abraham G.Kidan are among those editors and journalists summoned in a similar way.

 The police summons and the processing of new charges under the ever-repressive Press Law is part of the government effort to stifle the independent press whose journalists have to face political and economic repression of all sorts. The government fines the journalists, arrests and imprisons many, forces others into exile, raises the price of print paper and postage, beats up newspaper vendors and confiscates the papers, etc...in a continuous but relentless effort to suppress the journalists.

 Write your protest messages to the Prime Minister Meles Zenawi (p.o.box 1031,ADDIS ABEBA, Fax no. 251-1-552020/ or e mail c/o National parliament:

national.parliament@telecom.net.et

SOCEPP