In a letter dated 30 January, IPI partners at the Pakistan Press Foundation wrote to Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi condemning the recent conviction of journalists on terrorism charges. The letter, signed by IPI Executive Board Member Owais Aslam Ali, calls for the release of all journalists jailed in Ethiopia on terrorism charges.

The full text of the letter is below:

Meles Zenawi Asres
Prime Minister of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Tel:+251 11 551 23 10, +251 11 551 70 20
Fax:+251 11 551 28 89

Your Excellency,

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), an independent non-governmental institution committed to promoting and defending freedom of expression is concerned to learn that two Ethiopian journalists were sentenced to 14 years in prison on January 26, 2012, while a third was sentenced to life in prison. A fourth journalist was also convicted of terrorism charges on January 23, 2012 and now faces the possibility of being sentenced to death.

According to International Press Institute (IPI), Reyot Alemu of Feteh newspaper and Wubshet Taye of the now-defunct Awramba Times were sentenced to 14 years in prison, while U.S. resident Elias Kifle of the Ethiopian Review, who was tried in absentia, received life in prison.

According to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, most of the evidence against the journalists was based on their online writings, critical articles that they received, and for calling for protest against the government.

Their sentencing came just days after a fourth journalist, Eskinder Nega, was found guilty of terrorism charges. Nega left the courtroom yelling, “I’m innocent.” He now faces the death penalty.

PPF strongly condemns the sentence to the journalists and urges the Ethiopian government to drop the cases against them and to release all the journalists currently in jail because of their work.

I thank you for your attention and will welcome your comments.

Yours sincerely,

Owais Aslam Ali
Secretary General
Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Press Centre
Shahrah Kamal Ataturk
Karachi
Pakistan

Tel: +92 21 3263-3215
Fax: +92-21 3221-7069
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.pakistanpressfoundation.org