5 VOA journalists charged in Ethiopia press clampdown
Dec 24, 2005 (WASHINGTON) — The Voice of America and two international media advocacy groups are denouncing treason charges that VOA said Ethiopia’s government has filed against five Ethiopian-born journalist employees of the U.S. government-owned broadcast agency.
“These charges are false and are an obvious attempt to intimidate our broadcasters,” said David S. Jackson, director of VOA. “The Voice of America has a worldwide reputation for the quality and reliability of our journalism, and we stand by our reporters.”
The five VOA employees are Ethiopian-born Americans who have been with the service at least 20 years and are among 131 political activists, journalists and others charged.
Charges against the five include treason, genocide, conspiracy, causing armed uprising and trying to overthrow the constitution. Prosecutor Abraham Tetemke has said all the defendants will face the same charges. Punishments range from three years to death.
The journalist advocacy groups Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders issued statements Friday in support of the VOA five and other journalists charged by prosecutors.
“These charges are shocking and outrageous,” said the protection committee’s executive director, Ann Cooper. “They strike at the heart of Ethiopia’s journalist community by criminalizing essential work of the press.”
A CPJ delegation protested the charges Wednesday in a visit with Ethiopia’s ambassador to Washington, Kassahun Ayele. The delegation said Kassahun told them he had no detailed information about the charges.
Joe O’Connell, a public affairs officer at VOA, said the five are based in Washington but sometimes travel to Ethiopia for their work.
“We don’t think it would be advisable for them to go now, not at this time anyway,” O’Connell said.
The Ethiopian government’s crackdown against the press began in November and grew out of the opposition’s reaction to the disputed May 15 election results. At least 46 people have died.
Mengesha, the Africa service news executive, said Friday that he and his colleagues had had no contact with the government and were working normally. He also denied attempts by any of the journalists to discredit Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s government.
“We just cover the news,” he said. “Usually our news is written by the VOA news division. We translate it and put it on the air.”
As for interview shows and the like, Mengesha said, “We always try to be objective, to bring all sides into the program. In most cases the Ethiopian government is not willing to come on the programs, and we say at the end that we tried for a government response and they would not give it.”
(AP/ST)