Ethiopian Court Overturns Government Ban on Journalists Association

The Ethiopian Free Press Journalists Association (EFJA) said in a press statement the court also stripped a government surrogate press group of it legality.

The government had established a puppet “free press association” as replacement for EFJA , an association that has waged a long battle against a government a few years ago had the unenviable distinction of being among the top 10 enemies of Press Freedom in the world.

“Standing members of EFJA may hold a general congress to set up a new leadership,” ruled the court, which also slapped the Ministry of Justice with order to cover EFJA’s litigation costs.

EFJA President Kifle Mulat shared the victory with supporters and major press freedom watch groups worldwide through a note of congratulations.

“EFJA would like to congratulate all its members dedicated to their profession and the promotion of press freedom, friends of press freedom and its international colleagues and allies. EFJA would soon give a press conference to local and foreign journalists on the details of the issue. Press freedom in Ethiopia shall flourish!” the press release said.

In spite of the court victory for EFJA, political observers say they have doubts whether the ruling would last long.

“When the government feels local and foreign pressure is building against it, it is a customary practice the government displays a semblance of democracy at work. Given the established fact that the judiciary, like the press group, is a victim of tyranny itself, however, there is a possibility EFJA’s win in the court today could be reversed at any time. Let’s take the latest EFJA victory as a temporary relief in a tug-of-war between tyranny and press freedom groups,” one observer said.