|
|
| Ethiopian govt re-opens treason trial of 4 newspaper publishers
|
|
|
| |
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) -
The Ethiopian government has re-opened the trial
of four major newspaper publishers in connection with the 2005 post-election vio
l
ence in the East African nation.
The ruling Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Front (EPRDF) has successfully lodged
an appeal against the Ethiopian Supreme Court's decision to pardon the four pub
l
ishers, Siday, Zekarias, Fasil and Serkalem, in connection with the 2005 electio
n
s.
Ethiopia is gearing for elections in 2010, expected to put another challenge to
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's 19-year long rule.
The EPRDF remains a solid political outfit and is expected to remain steadfast d
uring the upcoming polls.
The incumbent Prime Minister is expected to run again for election following EPR
DF decision to elongate his term by another five years after the party failed to
appoint a new party leader to succeed him.
The Ethiopian government has decided to pursue the case against the publishers/j
ournalists who have been banned from writing or publishing over the 2005 dispute
d
elections.
The Ethiopian Supreme Court, complying with the pleas lodged by government repre
sentatives, summoned the four publishing houses to appear before its criminal be
n
ch on 4 December.
The government is appealing a Federal court ruling which established that the pu
blishing houses had been pardoned by the President in accordance with the law an
d
the public pronouncements of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in 2007, despite the g
o
vernment's denial of such claims.
The publishing houses had been penalised with heavy fines in the post-election t
reason trial of 2005.
A petition filed by the government to the same court is also seeking to â?freez
e all liquid and fixed assetsâ? of the defendants.
In its four-page petition to the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Finance and Deve
lopment, which is representing the government, specified that it was acting at t
h
e behest of the Ministry of Justice.
Thirteen newspapers, the entire genre of Ethiopiaâ?s free press, were closed do
wn in the immediate aftermath of the post-election riots in 2005 and to date, in
c
redibly, none has returned despite the 2007 release of all journalists by pardon
,
which the government is now denying.
|
| |
| Addis Ababa - 02/12/2009 |
| |
|
|