H.E. Girma Wolde-Giorgis
Office of the President
P.O. Box 1362
Addis Ababa
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Fax: (011.2511) 51.86.57
Your Excellency:
We write to protest your country@quot;s part in the continuing world-wide abuse of press freedom.
On this day, World Press Freedom Day, there are — to the best of our knowledge — 193 journalists imprisoned in the jails of 29 countries, most of them solely for having done their jobs. Ethiopia
is one of the 29, and we are informed that you are holding three journalists in prison.
Tewodros Kassa and Meles Shine, both former editors with the weekly newspaper, Ethiop , have been jailed for what they wrote, and not what they may or may not have done. In the former case, the journalist was accused of “”disseminating false information.”” In the latter case, the journalist alleged corruption in government.
We strongly believe that if Your Excellency@quot;s government finds fault with accuracy in reporting or any allegations in journalism, it should pursue the case in civil courts on charges of libel, but never as a criminal charge.
Separately, we have received information that Asheber Bekele, a reporter with Genanawa, was arrested for allegedly participating in riots. However, efforts by our colleagues to confirm the arrest have failed. Neither we nor our colleagues have been able to receive any confirmation from Your Excellency@quot;s government that he has, indeed, been arrested — and if so, where he is being held, what charges specifically he is facing, and when he will face an open trial. This lack of information on arrested or “”disappeared persons”” violates the most fundamental precepts of human rights.
Your Excellency, the two confirmed prisoners should be released both on principle and as a matter of expediency. The principle is simple, as stated in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “”Everyone,? according to the Declaration, ?has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”” U.N. members recognize that this right is sometimes inconvenient and troublesome. Yet, it is crucial to uphold, and for practical reasons as well as principle: A nation that stifles freedom of thought and expression forfeits the good opinion of the world and isolates itself. This may prompt political or economic sanctions, with loss of diplomatic influence and domestic prosperity; at the least, it relegates a country to the company of North Korea, Cuba, or Zimbabwe. And in long or short order, a repressive regime will be overturned.
The Overseas Press Club of America, an independent organization that has defended press freedom around the world for 65 years, urges you to rethink your policy, to welcome free expression of ideas and opinions, to release Tewodros Kassa and Meles Shine, and, at the least, issue an official accounting of the case against Asheber Bekele — with assurances that the full measure of protection allowed by law is being provided to the defendant.
The courtesy of a reply would be appreciated.
Respectfully yours,
Robert E. Sullivan
Larry Martz
Freedom of the Press Committee