Renewed charges designed to silence critical Ethiopian journalist

Renewed charges designed to silence critical Ethiopian journalist


By CPJ; February 9, 2013

Charismatic journalist Temesgen Desalegn

Nairobi,
February 8, 2013–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the
revival of criminal charges against Ethiopian journalist Temesghen
Desalegn today in what appears to be a politicized
court hearing designed to censor one of the few critical voices left in the
country.

A
judge in the Federal High Court in the capital, Addis Ababa, revived three
charges against Temesghen, former chief editor of the
now-defunct Feteh, and one against the
general manager of Mastewal Publishing, the
publishing company that formerly printed Feteh,
according to local journalists who attended the hearing. Temesghen
faces charges of “outrages against the constitution,” defaming the government,
and false publication of articles, while the manager of Mastewal
Publishing faces an unspecified charge for allowing the weekly to be published.
Under Ethiopian law, a printing company is also held accountable for a press
offense by a publication that it publishes.

The
charges were filed in connection with articles published in Feteh
before the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi
in August 2012, according to CPJ’s review of the charge sheet. State
prosecutors cited Feteh articles in
court that they said falsely accused the government of interfering in religious
affairs and discrimination against certain ethnic groups, as well as articles
that allegedly incited violence.

The
next court date is scheduled for March 26, local journalists told CPJ.

State
prosecutors had suspended the charges against Temesghen
in August without explanation, but announced on December 12 that they would
re-file unspecified charges against him, Temesghen
told CPJ. The court date was adjourned until today, when Temesghen
learned he faced the same charges as last year.

Shimeles Kemal, a government spokesman, told
local journalists that the charges had been renewed based on further
incriminating evidence. He did not offer details.

“Authorities
have not provided any new evidence to support the revival of these
charges,” said CPJ East Africa Consultant Tom Rhodes. “This court
case appears to be a political effort to stifle one of the few independent
voices left in the country and ensure he cannot continue in the profession. All
charges placed against Temesghen and his publisher
must be dropped immediately.”

Feteh has not published
since July 2012, when the government ordered the printer not to publish. The
ministry had blocked the distribution of a Feteh
edition that included a front-page story about the conflicting reports surrounding the illness of Meles, according to news reports.

Temesghen has been harassed by
authorities in the past. In August 2012, he launched a new independent
bimonthly, Addis Times, but the state-run Ethiopian Broadcast Authority suspended the publication in January and rejected its
application for the renewal of a certificate necessary to hold a printing
license, local journalists told CPJ. Authorities cited theAddis
Times‘ failure to carry out administrative procedures including delivering
copies to the national archive and publishing names of their shareholders,
according to CPJ’s review of the official statement. Temesghen denied the
allegations, and said they were designed to prevent the paper from further
publication.

At
least seven journalists are behind bars in Ethiopia, making the country the second
leading jailer of journalists in Africa, according to CPJ research. Independent
blogger and journalist Eskinder Nega
was sentenced in July 2012 to 18 years in prison on charges of participating in
a terrorist organization and inciting anti-government protests, according to
CPJ research.