ETHIOPIA: GOVERNMENT WAGES FURTHER ASSAULT ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND EXPRESSION

The principles of freedom of speech and expression came under serious attack in the past week in the East African country of Ethiopia where journalists, opposition politicians and bloggers were sentenced to terms in jail for allegedly conniving with rebels to overthrow the government. The prison sentences imposed on the said individuals ranged from between eight years to life imprisonment.


2009’s Anti-terrorism law

The assault on freedom of speech and expression in the country has slowly gathered steam over the last few years but has intensified since 2009 when an anti-terrorism bill was passed by its parliament. One of the by-product of the provisions of the law would see individuals jailed for up to 20 years if found to have published information which could ‘incite’ terrorist activities. This provision appears to stretch the definition of ‘terrorist activity’ to include the work of journalists, bloggers, artists et al which have the temerity to criticise the government when it falls short of maintaining international human rights standards.


The ‘Convicts’

Needless to say unrelenting opprobrium has been heaped on the decision since the verdicts became public knowledge not least because the Ethiopian government has serious form when it comes to incarcerating individuals who voice any forms of dissent against it. Amongst those jailed in this latest onslaught on freedom of speech were Andualem Arage, an opposition politician from the Unity for Democracy and Justice Party (UDJ) who was jailed for life, along with Berhanu Nega and Andargachew Tsige who also received life sentences in absentia.

Probably the most well known of the individuals jailed is blogger and journalist Eskinder Nega who was sentenced to 18 years in jail. Nega appears to have offended the authorities by having the audacity to challenge the government’s decision to arrest, under the aforementioned anti-terrorism legislation, Debebe Eshetu, an actor in the country who has also been a constant thorn in the government’s flesh. In addition, the said individuals and others who received similar sentences were accused of being members of the US-based opposition group Ginbot 7, which the government has classed as a “terrorist organisation”.


Prime Minister Zenawi

The country is led by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary democratic Front (EPRDF) who is currently serving a fourth 5-year term in power following an election victory in May 2010. As has been the case with elections held on the continent, opposition groups refused to accept the decision on the grounds that the elections were not free and fair while international observers chorused in unison that the elections failed to adhere to international standards. Zenawi is said to have been one of the writers of the country’s constitution which was created in 1994. Zenawi has also been the country’s only Prime Minister since multi-party elections were first held in 1995.


Criticisms of the latest convictions

The European Union (EU) has voiced strong concerns about the sentences. The organisation’s foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton averred that the principle of freedom of expression enshrined in the Ethiopian Constitution is somewhat compromised by “a lack of clarity with regards to what constitutes a terrorism offence”. The prominent Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Amnesty International added: “The Ethiopian government is treating calls for peaceful protest as a terrorist act and is outlawing the legitimate activities of journalists and opposition members”.


Sound-off

The detainees’ legal representatives appear to have already set plans in motion to appeal the decision of the authorities. Whilst trying to avoid being labelled a ‘prophet of doom’, it is highly unlikely that the appeals will result in the release of any of the convicted persons. One notes that the country is highly dependent on foreign aid for its economic stability as was the case with the East African country of Malawi where democratic ideals were also threatened by the government in similar circumstances. In Malawi threats of withdrawal of foreign aid and the West’s follow through of the threat was sufficient enough to check the excesses of the government. In the same vein it is unlikely that any measures taken by the West, short of those implemented in Malawi, will be effective as a means of preventing further strangulation and stifling of freedom of speech and expression by the Ethiopian government.

MEXICO: THE JOURNALIST’S GRAVEYARD

Last week’s killings of Mexican journalists again highlight the dangers faced by those engaged in the profession within the developing world. The dismembered remains of Guillermo Luna and Gabriel Huge were discovered by the authorities in the Mexican state of Veracruz following their recent disappearance. Mr Huge worked for the popular newspaper, Notiver, while Mr Luna, a relative of Mr Huge was said to have been a photojournalist at a local photo agency.

The deaths come on the heels of recent murders of journalists in the country including those of Regina Martinez, a writer at a national newspaper who was found dead at her home and prior to that, the killing of Yolanda Ordaz. Martinez was said to have recently written about police corruption and in one of her pieces, exposed a group of police officers who had been infiltrated by drug cartels. It is not only journalists who have been targeted by the cartels as bloggers are also reported to have suffered similar fates to that of their more illustrious counterparts.

The deaths have been blamed on violent drug gangs, the most famous of which are the Zetas and the Gulf Cartel who have successfully turned this North American powerhouse into a violent battleground. The methods of execution preferred by the gangs include decapitation as well as the hanging or displaying of the body parts of murdered victims in public squares, parks, fields and bridges as a means of intimidating both their enemies and members of the public who presumably harbour any thoughts of reporting the drug cartels’ nefarious activities to the authorities.

Worryingly for the government which is led by the country’s President, Felipe Calderon, Veracruz was until recently deemed to be one of the country’s safest regions. The infiltration of Veracruz by the armed gangs is therefore being seen by Calderon’s opponents as indication that the government is fighting a losing battle in its long-running operation against the country’s drugs cartels. With presidential elections due to be held later in the year, Calderon will struggle to convince voters, many of whom have suffered direct or indirect loss as a result of the conflict, that achievements are being made in its battle against the drug gangs.

Recently released figures by the authorities indicate that nearly 50,000 people have died in the last five years as a result of the violence, the majority of whom have been members of the country’s security forces, drug cartel members and in the majority innocent individuals who have had no links to the gangs.

Although the government continually asserts that it has employed more than adequate manpower in its bid to curtail the activities of the gangs – more than 50,000 security forces have been deployed to tackle the menace of drug cartels – this has for the most part failed to generate the desired results. Observers blame amongst others, the corruption of security officers, the lack of accountability of security personnel who are said to be responsible for large numbers of deaths of innocent civilians who have been mistakenly identified as collaborators. More importantly and of concern are in some cases justified reports of the infiltration of police and military personnel by these gangs.

According to the Paris-based organisation, Reporters Without Borders, last year Mexico was third on the list of countries where journalists had suffered the most deaths, following closely on the heels of Pakistan and Iraq. Aside the killings, many journalists have been forced to give up their source of livelihoods as a result of threats being made against them, many have fled their homes and several newspaper offices have had to be shut down or have relocated after being sprayed with bullets or destroyed by explosives.

In the aftermath of the killings, Reporters Without Borders released a statement calling for the perpetrators of the crimes to be brought to justice. It stated: "We demand justice for Martinez and all other journalists who have been killed…Crime pays if it goes unpunished." Whether the criminals who are responsible for the killings will ever be brought to justice widely remains to be seen but unfortunately what is easier to predict and based on the statistics to hand, is that the deaths of Huge and Luna will not be the last unsolved murders of journalists to be reported out of Mexico this year.