Letter on behalf of Frezer Negash

February 8, 2006

His Excellency Meles Zenawi
Office of the Prime Minster
P.O. Box 1031
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Your Excellency:

We are writing on behalf of the International Women’s Media Foundation to express our alarm about the plight of Frezer Negash, a journalist for the U.S.-based website Ethiopian Review.

According to reports from the Committee to Protect Journalists, Negash was detained without charge by Ethiopian security forces and has been held in Addis Ababa since January 27.

With the recent increase in deaths of and threats to journalists worldwide because of their work we are concerned that Negash’s detainment signals more restrictions on free expression and press freedom in Ethiopia. In addition to Negash, 14 detained journalists in Ethiopia face charges of treason and genocide, according to CPJ. Two more local journalists are serving jail sentences after being convicted of press offenses in December.

As a network of more than 1,500 women in the media around the world who are supporters of a worldwide free press, we respectfully urge you to take immediate action to ensure that Negash and the other journalists are safely released. By using your power to ensure that justice is done in this case, you will take a strong step toward preserving a free and independent press in Ethiopia.

Thank you for your attention

Sincerely,
Larry Olmstead, co-chair
Eleanor Clift, co-chair

cc: Mr. Assefa Kestito
Minster of Justice
Ministry of Justice
P.O. Box 1370
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Embassy of the United States of America
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

(Source: International Women’s Media Foundation – IWMF )