Attention to: H.E Bob Dewar, UK
Ambassador to Ethiopia

Attention to: H.E Aurelia E. Brazeal U.S.A Ambassador to Ethiopia

Attention to: H.E Mr.Rob Vermaas Royal Netherlands
Ambassador to Ethiopia

Attention to: H.E Ambassador of  Canada to Ethiopia

Attention to: H.E Ambassador of  Federal Republic of Germany to Ethiopia

Attention to: H.E Ambassador of  Austria to Ethiopia

Attention to: H.E Ambassador of  Royal Norwegian to Ethiopia

Fax: 61
05 88/551073,711577/713033/551311/712140/711255

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

 

Subject: New Draft Press Law & Very urgent appeal

Date: 19
July, 2004

 

From: EFJA Executive Committee

E-mail: [email protected],
[email protected]

Tel/Fax: +222107/564953

 

Dear Sir or
Madam:

Greetings.

 

It is to be recalled that the Association
Registration office in the Ministry of Justice has, through the use of its
authority and in contravention of its authority and in contravention of the
administrations regulation of EFJA, suspended the association
(EFJA) and its leadership.

The executive committee of EFJA has, in protest
against the illegal measures, field a suit against the Registration office.

The suit, which has been
adjourned for 19 July,
2004 is still under process.

 

I have sent you herewith a petition endorsed by the
signatures of members of EFJA inside and outside the country in which they
expressed protest against the Ministry of Justice, which, outside the interest
of the members of EFJA and its administration regulations suspended the
Executive Committee members and designated members of the leadership by
bringing together not more than 5-7 members and other individuals unknown to
EFJA. In the petition, the members also confirmed that the individuals do not
represent EFJA.

 

It is to be recalled that the repressive new draft
press law could not be endorsed and promulgated by the relevant bodies because
it had faced strong opposition both at national and international level.  Despite this strong protest, the same
repressive new draft press law is, without any revision and improvement made to
it and with other harsh repressive articles added to it, going to be presented
for a take (make-believe) discussion to be held at a “forum” due to be organized
by the government.

 

The
new draft press law has not incorporated any of the suggestions and
recommendations that were made earlier by the EFJA and Publishers forum,
various sectors of the community and by professionals.

 

The
new draft press law has totally discarded the recommendations made at the time
by the International Press Institute (IPI), ARTCLE 19, Media
Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Media professionals in the United States (Tsehay Bublishers) and various press institutions.
All the just mentioned institutions and the professionals had made the
recommendations and suggestions after having conducted an analysis and deep
study on the Draft Press Law in question.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The
Ministry of Information has lately claimed that the draft press law has been
“revised” on the basis of the suggestions and recommendations made by all
concerned and that it would soon be presented for discussion.  However, the ministry made this fake
statement to beguile the international community.

 

The
Ethiopian government has, for some time now been engaged in masterminding a
sinister scheme calculated to incapacitate and eventually kill what ever
freedom of the press and freedom of self expression we have in our
country.  Driven by this sinister motive
the government: –

 

 

• Has illegally
  suspended the Ethiopian Free press Journalists’ Association (EFJA) and its
  leadership that have played crucial and vanguard roles in terms of
  exposing the repressive and harsh features of the new draft press law
  before the Ethiopian people and the International community.
• Has prohibited EFJA
  and members of EFJA from participating in the discussion forum that is
  said going to be held (July 21-23/04).
• Has brought together a
  collection of its own cadres, its staff working with the state media
  services, and subservient (surrogate) associations which it has organized
  in the name of EFJA.

 

The
plan designed by the government is a measure that has been taken contrary to
the wishes and aspirations of the Ethiopian people and professionals.  It is meant to plunge the Ethiopian people
into the marshes of slavery and servitude. 
It is an act committed by the government in a bid to deny the Ethiopian
people to exercise their rights to freedom of expression. 

 

The
Ministry of Information has been actively involved in a deceitful and malicious  tactic to
clam down the strong opposition and denunciation it has faced at national and
international level.

 

The
Ministry of Information is planning to place a yoke of oppression on the
Ethiopian people in the form of a press law which it falsely claims it has
reviewed and amended.  We believe that
this deceptive scheme and sinister strategy would be exposed through the
efforts and struggle of national and international institutes that stand for
the respect of press freedom and the right to freedom of expression.

 

In the name of EFJA and its entire membership, the
friends of the free press and democratic forces, we respectfully call on your excellency and
democratic forces throughout the world to strongly denounce and condemn the
dictatorial measures that have been taken by the Ethiopian government.

 

Best regards,

 

Ethiopian Free press Journalists’ Association (EFJA)

Executive Committee

 

 

Kifle Mulat

President, EFJA

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

 

Cc:

 

International
Press institutions (IFJ, IPI, IFEX, CPJ,RSF,ARTICLE
19, PEN, AI,MFWA,AU…

Heather Yasamee

Head of
Information Management Department

Foreign and
Commonwealth Office

Email: [email protected]

Information Commissioner’s
Office

Email: [email protected]

Jenny Godfrey

Records and
Historical Department

Foreign and
Commonwealth Office

E-mail: [email protected]

Foreign Affairs
Committee

Committee
Office, House of Commons

E-mail: [email protected]

The Commonwealth
Press Union

Lindsay Ross,
Executive Director

E-mail:
[email protected]

Press Freedom,Kim Latimer

E-mail:
[email protected]

 

Recommended Action:

 

Please send urgent appeals:

 

• Calling on the Ethiopian government to refrain from harassing,
  imprisoning and imposing punishment on journalists under the cover of the
  repressive and draconian press law.
• Calling on the Ethiopian government to lift the ban it has imposed
  on Ethiopian free press journalists and their association- EFJA, so that
  they would be able to move freely and have direct contact with any
  institutions without direct or indirect government intervention. 

 

APPEALS TO:

Council of Peoples Representatives

P.O.Box 80001 Fax (251-1) 550900

Council of the Federation

P.O.Box 80001 Fax (251-1) 550722

His Excellency Prime Minister Meles Zenawi

Office of the Prime Minister

P.O. Box 1031

Fax: 00 251 -1- 552020

H.E Ato Siyum Mesfin

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Fax: 01- 5143 00

H.E Ato Harka Hariye

Minister of Justice

Fax: 00 251 1 517775

H.E.Ato Bereket Simon,

Minister of Information

P.O.Box 1364 Fax (251-1) 527967

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

c/o National Parliament

E-mail: [email protected]

and to
diplomatic representatives of Ethiopia accredited to your country.

 

PLEASE
SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.

Please copy appeals to the source if possible.

VERY URGENT CALL!

Attention to:

IFJ,IPI,IFEX,CJFE,WAN,RSF,CPJ,WFPI,WPFC,ARTICLE19,IMS,HRW,MFWA,MISA,PEN…

Embassies, All Media, International Press and Human Right Organizations,AU…

Cc: to whom it may
concern.

Return-Path:
[email protected]  or [email protected]

Reply-To:
“Kifle Mulat” <[email protected]>

The
Ethiopian Free Press Journalists’ Association (EFJA)

Sent: Thursday 15, July 2004

Subject:  Ethiopian draconian Draft Press
Law…

 

  ETHIOPIA- EFJA PRESS RELEASE:

 

Ethiopian draconian Draft Press Law made public without

incorporating
recommendations and without any improvement.

 

It
is to be recalled that the repressive new draft press law could not be endorsed
and promulgated by the relevant bodies because it had faced strong opposition
both at national and international level. 
Despite this strong protest, the same repressive new draft press law is,
without any revision and improvement made to it and with other harsh repressive
articles added to it, going to be presented for a take (make-believe)
discussion to be held at a “forum” due to be organized by the government.

 

The new draft press law has
not incorporated any of the suggestions and recommendations that were made
earlier by the EFJA and Publishers forum, various sectors of the community and
by professionals.

 

The new draft press law has
totally discarded the recommendations made at the time by the International
Press Institute (IPI), ARTCLE 19, Media Foundation for
West Africa (MFWA), Media professionals in the United States (Tsehay Bublishers) and various press institutions.
All the just mentioned institutions and the professionals had made the
recommendations and suggestions after having conducted an analysis and deep
study on the Draft Press Law in question.

The Ministry of Information
has lately claimed that the draft press law has been “revised” on the basis of
the suggestions and recommendations made by all concerned and that it would
soon be presented for discussion.  However,
the ministry made this fake statement to beguile the international community.

 

The Ethiopian government has,
for some time now been engaged in masterminding a sinister scheme calculated to
incapacitate and eventually kill what ever freedom of the press and freedom of
self expression we have in our country. 
Driven by this sinister motive the government: –

 

• Has illegally suspended the Ethiopian Free press
  Journalists’ Association (EFJA) and its leadership that have played
  crucial and vanguard roles in terms of exposing the repressive and harsh
  features of the new draft press law before the Ethiopian people and the
  International community.
• Has prohibited members of EFJA from participating
  in the discussion forum that is said going to be held (July 21-23/04).
• Has brought together a collection of its own
  cadres, its staff working with the state media services, and subservient
  (surrogate) associations which it has organized in the name of EFJA.

 

The plan designed by the
government is a measure that has been taken contrary to the wishes and
aspirations of the Ethiopian people and professionals.  It is meant to plunge the Ethiopian people
into the marshes of slavery and servitude. 
It is an act committed by the government in a bid to deny the Ethiopian
people to exercise their rights to freedom of expression. 

 

The Ministry of Information
has been actively involved in a deceitful and malicious  tactic to clam down the strong
opposition and denunciation it has faced at national and international level.

 

The Ministry of Information
is planning to place a yoke of oppression on the Ethiopian people in the form
of a press law which it falsely claims it has reviewed and amended.  We believe that this deceptive scheme and
sinister strategy would be exposed through the efforts and struggle of national
and international institutes that stand for the respect of press freedom and
the right to freedom of expression.

 

We call on the Ethiopian
peace and democratic forces throughout the world to strongly denounce and
condemn the dictatorial measures that have been taken by the Ethiopian
government.

 

I have sent you
herewith a copy of the draft press law which the ministry claims to have
revised. 

Please find the
attached file:Draft Press Law.

 

 

Recommended Action:

 

Please
send urgent appeals in English or your own language:

 

Calling on the Ethiopian government to refrain from harassing,
imprisoning and imposing punishment on journalists under the cover of the
repressive and draconian press law.

Calling
on the Ethiopian government to lift the ban it has imposed on Ethiopian free
press journalists and their association- EFJA, so that they would be able to
move freely and have direct contact with any institutions without direct or
indirect government intervention. 

 

APPEALS
TO:

• Council of Peoples
  Representatives

P.O.Box 80001 Fax (251-1) 550900

Council of the Federation

P.O.Box 80001 Fax (251-1) 550722

• His Excellency Prime
  Minister Meles Zenawi

Office of the Prime Minister

P.O. Box 1031

Fax: 00 251 -1- 552020

• H.E Ato Siyum Mesfin

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Fax: 01- 5143 00

• H.E Ato Harka Hariye

Minister of Justice

Fax: 00 251 1 517775

• H.E.Ato Bereket Simon,

Minister of Information

P.O.Box 1364 Fax (251-1) 527967

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

c/o National Parliament

E-mail: [email protected]

and to diplomatic representatives of Ethiopia accredited to your country.

 

PLEASE SEND APPEALS
IMMEDIATELY.

Please
copy appeals to the source if possible.

 

 

The
Ethiopian Free Press Journalists’ Association (EFJA)

 

Kifle
Mulat

President,
EFJA

15 July,2004– Addis Ababa,Ethiopia