Ethiopia: Third newspaper editor jailed
Published: February 3, 2010
English PEN protests the one-year prison sentence handed to newspaper editor Ezedin Mohamed of the newspaper Al-Quds on 29 January 2010 for an article criticizing the Prime Minister of Ethiopia. English PEN believes that Mohamed's conviction and imprisonment is in direct violation of his right to freedom of expression and opinion and is calling for his immediate and unconditional release.
Ezedin Mohamed, publisher and editor of Al-Quds, Ethiopia's largest Islamic newspaper, was sentenced to one year in prison on 29 January 2010. The exact nature of the charges is not clear but it is understood they relate to a January 2008 column that criticized Prime Minister Meles Zenawi for statements he made during an interview with The Guardian. The Al-Quds column reportedly challenged Zenawi's characterization of his country as "Orthodox Christian Ethiopia". (To read The Guardian interview, please click here.)
Mohamed was previously arrested on criminal defamation charges in February 2008, along with Al-Quds publisher Maria Kadim and Salafiyya editor Ibrahim Mohamed Ali. The three were held in custody for two weeks before being released on bail.
The editor has reportedly begun serving his sentence at Kality Prison outside the capital Addis Ababa.
Background
Mohamed is the third newspaper editor to be jailed in Ethiopia in the last six months. On 24 August 2009, Ibrahim Mohamed Ali of Salafiyya (see above) and Asrat Wedajo, former editor of the now-defunct Seife Nebelbal, were each sentenced to one year in prison for their coverage of sensitive issues. They were reportedly convicted on under now-obsolete press laws for articles published several years ago. For more information, click here.
Please send appeals:
• Protesting the one-year prison sentence handed to Al-Quds editor Ezedin Mohamed on 29 January 2010 for an article criticizing Prime Minister Meles Zenawi;
• Pointing out that his conviction is in violation of his right to freedom of expression protected under international human rights treaties to which Ethiopia is a party, including the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and People's Rights;
• Calling for Mohamed's immediate and unconditional release.
Appeals to:
Minister of Justice
Berhanu Hailu
Ministry of Justice
P.O. Box 1370
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Fax: 251 11 551 7775
Email: justice@telecom.net.et
ministry-justice@telecom.net.et
Salutation: Dear Minister
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr Seyoum Mesfin
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
PO Box 393
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Fax: 251 11 551 43 00
Email: mfa.addis@telecom.net.et
Salutation: Dear Minister
Please also send a copy of your letter to the Ethiopian diplomatic representative in London:
His Excellency Ambassador Berhanu Kebede
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
17 Prince's Gate
London
SW7 1PZ
Fax: 020 7584 7054
Email: ambassador@ethioembassy.org.uk
Salutation: Your Excellency