Ethiopia #1 on the list of countries where press freedom is deteriorating

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-[STATEMENT ON UN PRESS FREEDOM DAY, FROM CONGRESSIONAL ETHIOPIA CAUCUS CHAIRMAN, REP. MIKE HONDA]
-[(LEWIT) Trial Update: May 2, 2007]
-[AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL - Trial of opposition leaders, human rights defenders and journalists continues in Ethiopia]
-[UN's Ban vows defense of media freedom]
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Amharic Translation of HR 2003

International Ethiopian Women Organization Interview with Professor Al Mariam

SOLIDARITY COMMITTEE FOR ETHIOPIAN POLITICAL PRISONERS (SOCEPP) Town Hall Meeting
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STATEMENT ON U.N PRESS FREEDOM DAY, FROM CONGRESSIONAL ETHIOPIA CAUCUS CHAIRMAN, REP. MIKE HONDA

15th District (CA)
For Immediate Release
May 3, 2007

Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA) issued the following statement on the United Nations Press Freedom Day.


"Today, I am pleased to mark United Nations Press Freedom Day, a day that reminds us all of the integral role that a free press and free expression play in a civil, democratic society.

Unfortunately, many people in this world are denied the basic freedoms enshrined in the UN Declaration on Human Rights. Restrictive governments deny these rights because they know that freedom of the press leads to free, open democracies.

However, today we mark the brave acts of journalists who choose to ignore these infringements in order to bring the news to the public.

I deeply appreciate the sacrifice that many of these courageous men and women make to bring freedom to all people, through free and unrestricted information."

Congressman MIKE HONDA

Ethiopia #1 on the list of countries where press freedom is deteriorating


Ethiopia, where the government launched a massive crackdown on the private press by shutting newspapers and jailing editors, leads CPJ’s dishonor roll.
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Click here for Audio Report: (CPJ)

New York, May 2, 2007—Three nations in sub-Saharan Africa are among the places worldwide where press freedom has deteriorated the most over the last five years, a new analysis by the Committee to Protect Journalists has found.

Ethiopia, where the government launched a massive crackdown on the private press by shutting newspapers and jailing editors, leads CPJ’s dishonor roll.

The African nations of the Gambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo join Russia and Cuba among the world’s worst “backsliders” on press freedom.

Ethiopian Army soldiers beat a journalist in Addis Abeba, 2006. (Picture -- AFP/POOL/CPJ)

“Democracy’s foothold in Africa is shallow when it comes to press freedom,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “These three African nations, as diverse as they are, have won praise at times for their transition to democracy—but they are actually moving in reverse on press issues.

Journalists in Ethiopia, Gambia, and DRC are being jailed, attacked, and censored, a picture far worse than what we saw only a few years ago.”(More...)

Also see:
-Ethiopia worst for press freedom: report
-Ethiopia tops list of countries where press freedom is deteriorating, media advocacy group says
-CPJ report reveals press freedom backsliders
-Ethiopia tops list of 10 worst countries for press freedom
-Press freedom severely backslides in 10 countries: report
-CPJ: The top 10 Backsliders of press freedom

UN's Ban vows defense of media freedom

NEW YORK, May 2 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Wednesday he is alarmed at the increasing number of journalists being targeted because of their work.

As a U.S.-based media watchdog warned of eroding press conditions around the world, Ban agreed, in a message to mark Thursday's World Press Freedom Day, that too often the media were faced with bids to restrict, deny or block their work.

The report, released on Tuesday, found that freedom of the media has worsened the most between 2002 and 2007 in Ethiopia, Gambia, Russia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cuba, Pakistan, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Morocco and Thailand.(More...)

Trial Update: May 2, 2007

LEWIT

After a two hour delay in the sweltering courtroom (during which the defendants were thankfully allowed to mingle and converse), the judge announced the somewhat unexpectedly lenient rulings.

1. The defendants’ requests to obtain personal property seized by police was rejected.

2. The request for copies of the verdict (currently being transcribed), testimonies of all witnesses for the prosecution, and relevant audio/video evidence was granted. (The prosecution was ordered to prepare and provide the above within 5 days.)

The prison administration was ordered to set up the requisite facilities and show two cassettes per day to the defendants (which would be divided into groups for the viewing).

3. The defendants would be granted half a day to meet and discuss their defense, following the review of all cassettes/videos.

4. Daniel and Netsanet were given permission to access their personal computers and print the required documents under supervision.(More...)


Ethiopia: Trial of opposition leaders, human rights defenders and journalists continues

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Public Statement
AI Index: AFR 25/008/2007(Public)
News Service No: 087
May 2, 2007

One year after their trial opened in Addis Ababa on 2 May 2006, 48 members of the opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) party, human rights defenders and journalists are still in prison.

Most charges carry possible death sentences. They are on trial for allegedly inciting violence in opposition demonstrations in 2005 protesting alleged electoral fraud. The demonstrations started peacefully but ended in clashes with government forces that shot dead 187 demonstrators.

Amnesty International reiterates its call for the immediate and unconditional release of those defendants whom it considers are prisoners of conscience who have not used or advocated violence and were peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression, association and assembly, as guaranteed by the Ethiopian Constitution and international human rights treaties which Ethiopia has ratified. They include:

• CUD leaders -- some of whom were elected to the federal parliament or Addis Ababa city assembly -- for example Dr Berhanu Negga, an economics lecturer, Dr Yakob Hailemariam, a law professor and former UN prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda; Ms Birtukan Mideksa, a lawyer and former judge, and retired geography professor Mesfin Woldemariam, founder and former president of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council, among others;
• two civil society activists and human rights lawyers -- Daniel Bekele, policy manager of the Ethiopian office of ActionAid, the international development agency, and Netsanet Demissie, founder and director of the Organization for Social Justice, an Ethiopian NGO;
• seven journalists from the independent media who are charged on the basis of published articles which to Amnesty International's knowledge did not advocate violence.(More...)

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