April 4/2002

 UPDATE

 THE ONGOING REPRESSION AGAINST JOURNALISTS

The EPRDF gas continued with its repression against the independent journalists and with its persistent violation of the freedom of the press.

The Third Criminal Bench of the Federal High court has ordered (April 1/2002) that chief editor of It'op newspaper and magazine Melese S Shine should appear in court 17 May/2002 for a new additional charge that has been filed against him. Melese Shine is presently remanded in custody because he has been unable to produce Birr 10.000 bail for a previous charge which alleged that he has violated article 10(1) and (20) of press proclamation no. 34/1985 E.C. and article 9(1) of the special criminal Code Proclamation no 214/1974 that was issued under the military government 20 years ago. It has been impossible to know the amount of bail money that may be imposed by the court when Melese appears again in court.

 The chief editor of Lamrot news paper Gizzaw Taye Wordoffa is remanded in custody because he was unable to produce bail many amounting to Birr 2000 that was imposed by the Federal High Court.

* The Editor-in-chief of "Mebrek" newspaper Kidushabte Belachew who has been charged with violating the Press Proclamation and the Penal Code has reported at the Central Investigation Department on March 29/02 and made a statement to the police. He was released on producing birr 5000 bail.Kidushabte Belachew ordered to appear in Federal High Court Second Criminal bench on 23 April, 02.

* The Federal High Court had sentenced Editor-in Chef to one year in prison .The First Criminal Bench of the Federal High Court had on April 3 sentenced (Weizero) Mme Lubaba Sa-id, former Editor-in-chief of Tarik newspaper to one year imprisonment after the court established that she was guilty of disseminating in her newspaper at national level "fabricated news that could have negative psychological effect on members of the Defence Army and cause disturbances in the minds of the people."

STOP THE REPRESSION AGAINST THE INDEPENDENT JOURNALISTS!!

SOCEPP