Ethiopian police briefly detain 5 journalists

Sept 9, 2005 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopia’s police briefly detained five journalists Friday for questioning over articles that were critical of disputed legislative elections.

The journalists were later released on bail after officials said some of the articles – that said the opposition may have won the May 15 legislative elections – had false information, Kifle Mulat, head of the Ethiopian Free Press Journalists Association, said.

The ruling coalition on Monday was declared the winner of the elections that drew allegations of vote-stealing and touched off violent street protests.

Opposition parties made strong gains in the balloting, but continued to argue they were robbed of a victory by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front.

A section of the local press published similar sentiment.

“The journalists were taken from their houses and office. They were interviewed by the police. They were asked about the articles they published in their newspaper a week ago,” Mulat said.

It was unclear what charges will be filed against the five: Habdissa Abera, editor of the weekly Dagim Wenchif, and his deputy, Abera Tezera; and Tadesse Kebede, editor of the weekly Lisan Hizb, his deputy Tigist Abraham and former reporter Eshetu Feta.

In August, police detained overnight eight journalists from independent newspapers before releasing them on bail, accusing them of publishing false electoral results.

On June 28, police detained for seven hours four independent newspaper editors on criminal charges of defaming the military. They were also released on bail.

The arrests stemmed from reports in their Amharic-language weeklies about Ethiopian air force pilots who allegedly defected while training in Belarus because they were unhappy with the killing of Ethiopians protesting the election results in the capital, Addis Ababa.

(AP)