Ethiopia’s Zenawi urged to relax pressure on press
February 19, 2010 (ADDIS ABABA) — As nation approaches to conduct 2010 national polls, an international press-rights watchdog urged Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to exercise his leader ship in the amendment to country’s legislations that “obstruct” or “threaten'” press freedom.
The New-York based group, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) wrote a letter to the Ethiopian prime minister calling on his administration to draw attention to conditions that undermine press freedom in contradiction to guarantees set in Article 29 of the country’s constitution.
“We call on you to push for the repeal of draconian provision increasing criminal penalties for libel and allowing censor ship based on vague national security considerations” said the group in a letter emailed to Sudan Tribune.
“It is high time for Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to demonstrate his commitment to democratic value by ending practice of imprisoning Journalists.”
CPJ expressed concern on the country’s anti-terrorism law endorsed by parliament last July.
“We are concerned that the broad and vaguely define terms will be used to imprison Journalists up to 20 years in Jail for legitimate and independent news coverage.”
The press advocacy group calls on Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s administration to amend repressive provisions of the anti-terrorism proclamation that criminalize reporting deemed favorable to entities the government labels terrorists, including banned opposition groups.
The watchdog has accused Ethiopian ruling party of further curtailing the limited freedom of the country’s small number of independent news papers in the run up to national elections scheduled to May 2010.
According to CPJ, currently there are 5 Journalists in Ethiopian prisons, making the Horn of Africa nation the second worst jailer of press next to Eritrea. Further, at least a dozen of independent journalists fled Ethiopia in 2009 in protest to harassment, intimidation and this figure makes Ethiopia the second largest exodus in sub-Saharan Africa next to Somalia.
The ruling party’s absolute control of the government subsidized and publicity funded national press, the government’s restrictive media regulation and licensing practices, the states censorship of internet content are what CPJ listed as main restricting areas to the free flow of information in Ethiopia.
(ST)