Independent
newspaper editor reported imprisoned
(IRIN
Horn of Africa Update, 13 June 2000)
The Ethiopian
Free Press Journalists' Association (EFPJA) reported on Monday that
the Federal High Court had sentenced Tewdors Kassa, editor-in-chief
of 'Ethiop' newspaper to one year in prison or a fine of 15,000 birr
($1,800) for publishing an article that the court ruled "could incite
people to political violence". The article in question, which appeared
in 'Ethiop' on 28 September 1997, concerned the alleged poisoning of
an army commander by a female cadre of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF).
The EFPJA report called for Ethiopian journalists to appeal to the authorities
for Kassa's release and drew attention to the plight of 26 members of
the free press, including seven already in prison, who it said had court
cases pending against them.
A 1999
survey by the monitoring organisation Freedom House, noted that Ethiopia
had a strict press law laying out the "responsibilities of the press"
to ensure that its content was free from criminal or civil liability.
Journalists, editors, and financial backers are liable for the content
of publications. Throughout 1997 and 1998 the government cracked down
on print journalists. By the end of 1998, 16 journalists had received
long prison terms, 27 had fled the country, and 33 others were awaiting
trial.