(21 September, RNW)--He says he’s shocked and saddened, but mainly amazed by the sudden turn of events: Ethiopian journalist Argaw Ashine has been on an emotional rollercoaster since his rapid flight from his homeland.
Two weeks ago he was forced to go underground and then flee the country after being questioned by the Ethiopian authorities.
A few days after Mr Ashine’s name appeared in one of the US diplomatic cables released by the anti-secrecy organisation WikiLeaks, he was being questioned by police in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. He was given a choice: either reveal his source within 24 hours or suffer the consequences.
Clear threat
Ethiopia does officially recognise the right to keep one's sources confidential but Mr Ashine says the police chief made it very clear that he regarded the law as irrelevant. He says he decided not to wait for the next meeting with the police and left the country. The consequences of a refusal were made quite clear and Ethiopian journalists have been imprisoned for far less.
He says:
“Actually there was no physical threat. But I am aware of the situation, because I am not the only one. Immediately before my departure, six other journalists were arrested and I know the trend and the problem in the Ethiopian media. And it is clear for me what will happen later. Even after the police investigator tried to tell me the issue is to know the source only. Not to harm me. He tried to convince me but I said I'm not willing to disclose my source."
Mr Ashine was named in a 2009 US diplomatic cable, classified as confidential, that reported details of a conversation about an attempt by Ethiopia’s Government Communication Affairs Office (GCAO) to silence journalists working for the country's largest independent Amharic language newspaper, the Addis Neger. FULL ARTICLE AT Radio Netherlands Worldwide »
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| Argaw Ashine |
Clear threat
Ethiopia does officially recognise the right to keep one's sources confidential but Mr Ashine says the police chief made it very clear that he regarded the law as irrelevant. He says he decided not to wait for the next meeting with the police and left the country. The consequences of a refusal were made quite clear and Ethiopian journalists have been imprisoned for far less.
He says:
“Actually there was no physical threat. But I am aware of the situation, because I am not the only one. Immediately before my departure, six other journalists were arrested and I know the trend and the problem in the Ethiopian media. And it is clear for me what will happen later. Even after the police investigator tried to tell me the issue is to know the source only. Not to harm me. He tried to convince me but I said I'm not willing to disclose my source."
Mr Ashine was named in a 2009 US diplomatic cable, classified as confidential, that reported details of a conversation about an attempt by Ethiopia’s Government Communication Affairs Office (GCAO) to silence journalists working for the country's largest independent Amharic language newspaper, the Addis Neger. FULL ARTICLE AT Radio Netherlands Worldwide »
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