A judge in Ethiopia's federal high court charged six journalists with terrorism on Thursday under the country's antiterrorism law, bringing the number of journalists charged under the statute since June to 10, CPJ research found.
Twenty-four people, including imprisoned dissident blogger Eskinder Nega and five other journalists critical of the government who work online and in exile, were charged, according to the court charge sheet obtained by CPJ. Nega, a contributor to U.S.-based Ethiopian diaspora news websites; editors Mesfin Negash and Abiye Teklemariam of the U.S.-based Addis Neger Online; Abebe Gellaw of the U.S.-based Addis Voice; Abebe Belew of the U.S.-based radio station Addis Dimts; and Fasil Yenealemof Netherlands-based station ESAT were charged with providing support to Ginbot 7, a banned opposition movement that the government formally designated a terrorist entity under the sweeping 2009 antiterrorism law this year, the charge sheet said. The law criminalizes any reporting that authorities deem "encourage" or "provide moral support" to groups the government has labeled terrorists. The five journalists in exile were charged in absentia.
From left: Nega, Gellaw, Negash, Teklemariam, Yenealem, and Belew.
In an interview with Agence France-Presse, government spokesman Shimelis Kemal accused the journalists of "abetting, aiding, and supporting a terrorist group." Kemal accused Ethiopia's neighbor, Eritrea, of involvement in a vague plot against the country. "They have received from the Eritrean government weapons and explosives for the purpose of carrying out terrorist activities in Ethiopia," Kemal said.