EMF | 07 August 2008–Editor-in-chief of Awramba times, journalist Dawit Kebede and the editor of Harambe newspapers, Wosonseged Gebrekidan were summoned at Addis Ababa police today, sources said. As part of new wave of attack on the press, the two editors were charged with five and three cases respectively and released on bail.
Meles Zenawi’s regime has recently intensified its attacks against the private press. (Picture: Dawit Kebede, editor-in-chief of Awramba)
Dawit Kebede was accused of challenging the the supreme law of the land, the constitution. The publication dates of Awramba time’s editions that brought in police investigations include its editorial on April 23-2008 and news stories on May 07-2008, May 20-2008, June 03-2008 and June 10-2008.
Wosonseged Gebrekidan of Harambe was charged for its editorial on April 15 entitled “EPRDF shall reform itself from the failed elections of 2008.” The other two charges against the editor of Harambe are the opinion from the readers on April 23 publication, and an interview on its May 21-2008 issue.
In its recent press release CPJ has reported that police has threatened on Monday to block distribution of an independently-owned newspaper if it continues its leading coverage of a new political opposition movement, according to local journalists.
“The Amharic-language weekly Awramba Times reported on Tuesday that it had received two separate phone warnings from top police officials to stop any coverage of “anti-constitutional organizations,” Editor Dawit Kebede told CPJ. The warning referred to the paper’s extensive coverage of the activities of the Netherlands-based Ginbot 7 Movement.” According to the New York based media watch dog.
Read also a report from CPJ Bblog below:
CPJ Blog
Press Freedom News and Views
New publications, familiar questions
Journalists in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, today reported that police interrogated the editors of Awramba Times and Harambe, two fledgling independent current affairs weeklies over a series of political stories.
Officers questioned Dawit Kebede of Awramba Times over editorials and interviews in five separate editions of his newspaper since April, Deputy Editor and lawyer Wondrad Debretsion told CPJ. The news items included an editorial challenging the government’s assertion of high voter turnout in April’s general elections, and a column by opposition leader Berhanu Nega comparing Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, according to Debretsion. Editor Wosonseged Gebrekidan of Harambe was also questioned over three similar stories.
Today’s development follows Wednesday’s sentencing of Mesfin Negash, the editor-in-chief of the current affairs weekly Addis Neger, to a one-month suspended prison term for publishing an interview of the lawyer of jailed outspoken pop icon Teddy Afro. Negash, who spoke to CPJ via telephone shortly after his release, was detained by High Court Judge Leul Gebremariam on contempt of court charges and spent two days in the cells of the Addis Ababa Police Commission. The author of the comments, defense lawyer Million Assefa was sentenced to a month and 20 days imprisonment and remains behind bar, according to local journalists.
Negash said the one-month suspended prison sentence he received today was his first criminal conviction. In a statement, Addis Neger announced it would appeal the ruling, expressing concern about a potential “chilling effect” on media coverage of court cases in Ethiopia. Nonetheless, Negash expressed gratitude to CPJ for displaying “solidarity” during his ordeal.
Addis Neger, Awramba Times and Harambe have suffered government harassment since becoming the first independently owned political publications since the government banned more than a dozen critical newspapers in a brutal 2005 crackdown on the press and political dissidents.
Speaking to CPJ, Awramba Times‘ Debretsion expressed the frustrations of many independent journalists:
“Editors are becoming afraid to report anything opposing the government. A democratic government never does anything like this. If they’re a democratic government, they have to allow us to report what’s going on in Ethiopia and in any other country. Most of the times they’re trying to stop journalists from doing what they’re supposed to do. If there’s a democracy, they should give us a chance to analyze things which are not good, not bad, which are true, which ones are not true; they have to give us a chance to do criticism against the government or other opposition parties.
“It’s becoming routine for journalists: You report something, then you go to the police station. … If they continue like this, our democracy might be under question mark.” .
August 7th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
The Editors charged and others arested but they did their share for Ginbot7 movment. Ginbot7 what areyou going to do now? Are you going to call another public meeting and keep talking how woyane is brutal, tell me something I dont know. Its do or die time. We dont need no more preaching how Woyane is Tyrant we all knwo that for past 17 years.
Its Time for Action
August 7th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Dagna:
There will be no response from Ginbot 7. Don’t expect a car to go without fuel. Ginbot 7 has no fuel. Don’t expect Ginbot 7 to take you from one place to another. They do not have only fuel; they do not have cars as well. They are jyst talk and empty talk.
Ato Dawit Kebede spend years in Kaliti. He should have been careful and not allowed himself in this. At least he sould have refrainded from bringing Ginbot 7, something that does nothing good for the struggle.
Anyway, I admire his courage. However, wisdom is also needed if we want to move one step forward.
August 7th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
To Dagna,
Do you think Ginbot 7 is a party that is organized by chinease? Or Do you think Ginbot 7 is a miracle that comes from the sky? I don’t know how you and some people assume that ginbot 7 can achieve everything by itself while we sit on our chair. To me if we strongly support and belive in Ginbot 7 we are the one who can make all the changes. Dagna if you believe in ginbot 7 why don’t step up and do your own part by any means. I mean you can do a lot of things to fight weyane, by the way have you even contributed money for Ginbot 7 for a specific duties? Or have you done anything on your side to fight weyane? If not just step up and start contributing your own part to support the party and to see the achievements of Ginbot 7 otherwise if you are not willing to contribute anything to Ginbot 7 but talk…just shut up ok……we don’t need people that lives their daily life properly and expecting others to solve their problems. Actually this is a typical mistake among the Ethiopians in diaspora, most people don’t like the daily atrocities of weyane, but they expect a lot can be done by a few individuals so that they can be part of the celebration, while they don’t want to pay any sacrifice for the struggle. For those of you who want the removal of weyane but don’t want to be a part of the struggle, shame on you guys!
Dagna finally I strongly want to tell you that we cannot gain our dream freedom just because we want to. We need to make our own contribution, and it requires so much sacrifice to get rid of weyane. Do not expect that leaders of Ginbot 7 can bring solution; they strongly need our support to acquire their and our ambition. They are not angles but have established the best party that belives in all type of struggle and they are also ready to pay anything to down weyane regime including their life….so it s time to examine our contributions not theirs…..
Shame on anti weyane Ethiopians that has not made any contribution to the struggle and death to weyane members and supporters.
August 7th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
We proud of Awramba times editor Dawit Kebede.he is working his duty with in a very diffcult situation.I know him personally.he beleive strongly about that people have the right to know what ever it is & he is committed to apply this journalistic principle.that’s why he detained before with Cud leaders,civic organisation members & human right activists for 21 months and also now confronting with those huslers.
I think he will be a nominee for the next year african journalists award.
Please,Editor of EMF, extend our appritiation to Awramba editor Dawit Keede behalf of Ethiopian journalists in exile.
Thank You
August 7th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
dagmawi
to Dagna
i am 100% withe you
Ginbot 7 plessssssss
woyanene asyachew
August 7th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
No civilzed country functions with out law and order, there is check and balance and accountability in every profession.
August 7th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
ኤሊያስ ከፍሊ aka Hagos Araya ኣስመሳይ ሰላይ
Can you please stay on your webiste www.Shabianreview.com . EMF is for true Ethiopians fighting aginst both Woyane and Shabya Agents……………
CAPISH !
August 7th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
dear DAgna
Do you think Hagos Araya is Elias kifila?you are crazy.Always I agree with Hagos.Hagos is true Ethiopian also I agree with Elias sometimes i have aproblem with Elias about Shabya.But both are Anti wayane, that is why you don’t like them.
God bless Ethiopia.
God bless G7, and Andant.
August 8th, 2008 at 1:19 am
Breaking News
I heard from www.medalyamedia.com Prsediant Girma W/gebergiors pass away this morning.
August 8th, 2008 at 4:58 am
Dear Dagna,
It is not helpfull to label somebody as he doesn’t agree with your idea. If you find the arguement of Hagos not convincing, you have absolute right to criticise.
I agree with Hagos. Le us question our selves what we have done to the struggle. Dr Berhanue or Andargechew can’t bring change alone. When we do something we can make a big difference.
August 8th, 2008 at 8:05 am
people like Dagna are nuissance. they do nothing to help the struggle against woyane except opening their filthy mouth. I bet this selfish bastard has contibuted a dime for any good cause, let alone to fight woyane.
August 8th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
To my dear fish brain Ethiopians.
Can you please tell me, when are you going to employ your brain? The last thirty years, we have seen numerous so called political leaders came and evaporated. (Not to mention how much money they took) Those who care for the people and for the county have been buried, dead. Think about it? If we really believe to free our people, why do we have these many fundraising party? Ops, did I call them fundraising party? Yes indeed, please do some reading; they can not be classified as a political party. They are good for nothing!! Dream on baby. You can’t touch weyane. I tell you what; Ginbot 7 is a disgrace and immoral gang group.
BTW. You mentioned “God bless Ethiopia”. When was the last time you went to church?
August 8th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Selam =Servant of Azeb Mefsin
August 8th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Who can tell me the difference between Al-Quida & Woyane?
Even who is the worst terrorist among them?
I said Al-Quida is worst,but my friend said woyane.
his argument is state terrorism is the worst than any terrorism which happen in hidden.
Who is correct my friends?
by the way Binladen’s brother will start to publsh news paper in the place of Awramba times by the next weeks.the name of the news paper will be አልቃ-ዴግ
August 9th, 2008 at 6:57 am
ዋናው ነገር ምን እንደሆነ እንክዋን እኝ ወያኔ እና ሆዳም የወያኔ ጥገኞችም ዘንድ የታወቀ ነው ግን የሚያሳዝነው እዚህ በውጭ ሀገር ያለን ሀገር ወዳድ ነን የምንል ጸረ ወያኔ አቅዋም ያለን ሰዎች ነን : ምናለ አንድ የምንሆንበትን መንገድ ብንፈልግ እንደው ዝም ብለን በነገር ከምንናጭ : እጃችን የገባውን ድል አይደል እንዴ እርስ በርስ ሳንስማማ ቀርተን በምትኩ ለብዙ ዜጎቻችን ሞትና እስር እንዲሁም ስቃይ እንግልት ከስራ መፍናቀል ይህን መቼም አሁን እንዲህ ነበር ብሎ መጥቀስ ለቀባሪው አረዱት ነው የሚሆነው: እስቲ በአንድ ነገር እንስማማ ማለትም ወያኔን ገርስሰን በምንጥልበት ነገር: ከዛ ደግሞ እንዲሁ ችግሮቻችንን እያቃለልን እንችል ይሆናል:
የኔን አቁዋም ልንገራችሁ ምናልባት እናንተ ታርሙኝ ይሆናል:
August 10th, 2008 at 5:23 am
MR HAGOSS AND TESFAY.
I MY SLFE I KNOW YOU VERY WELL THAT YOU ARE A SHABIAN AGENT.
AND YOU KEEP CAMING HERE TO DEVIDED ETHIOPIANS. YOU PPL ARE RIGHT YOU GET THE CHANCE TO WRITE HERE WHAT YOU WONT. AND ALSO YOU ENJOY IT. ITS TRUE MANY ETHIOPIANS DIDENT KNOW YOU. BUT AS FOR TIGRAY WE KNOW YOU VERY WELL EVERY MOVE YOU MADE. AND REMEMBER THERE ARE SOME HODAMS WHO AGREE WITH YOU SHABIAN AGENTS. BUT NOT MEAN THEY LOVE YOU BUT THEY BLAINDLY HATE WEYANE AND THEY AGREE WITH YOU PPL. BUT LET ME TELL YOU GUYS YOU CAN TALK THE TALK BUT BOTH YOU CANT WALK. KAKAKAKAK
LONG LIVE EPRDF AND ITS STRONG ARMY THE SHABIAN BACK BON BREAKER THE GREAT AGAZI AGAZI AGAZI SAY IT MANY MORE TIMESSSS.
THE WARRIORS OF AFRICAN LION. AGAZIIIIIII. DOWEN WITH ALL ENEMY.
August 11th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
VIDEO: Zenawi’s Tigray-built Empire thrives while more Ethiopians starve
check this out
http://www.eastafro.com/Post/2008/08/10/video-zenawi%e2%80%99s-tigray-empire-thrives-while-more-ethiopians-starve/