(June 12, 2012, VOA)--The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has discussed what it calls
repressive and harsh treatment of the media with high-ranking members of
Ethiopia's government.
Board members from the Committee to Protect Journalists and the Africa Media Initiative met with a senior figure in the government of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi this week, and called for the release of journalists being held in the country.
The Committee to Protect Journalists says Ethiopia is holding eight journalists in prison, only neighboring Eritrea holds more jailed journalists in Africa.
The two-hour-long meeting in Addis Ababa focused on those journalists and Ethiopia's overall treatment of independent media. Independent publishers and media members say the country's very broad 2009 anti-terrorism law has had a "chilling" effect on press freedom in the private media sector.
The law allows lengthy prison sentences for reporting that gives encouragement to groups the government labels terrorists. The Committee to Protect Journalists says authorities are holding three Ethiopian journalists and two Swedish journalists on charges of anti-government plots and terrorism. All the journalists have denied wrongdoing. Read more from Voice of America »
Board members from the Committee to Protect Journalists and the Africa Media Initiative met with a senior figure in the government of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi this week, and called for the release of journalists being held in the country.
The Committee to Protect Journalists says Ethiopia is holding eight journalists in prison, only neighboring Eritrea holds more jailed journalists in Africa.
The two-hour-long meeting in Addis Ababa focused on those journalists and Ethiopia's overall treatment of independent media. Independent publishers and media members say the country's very broad 2009 anti-terrorism law has had a "chilling" effect on press freedom in the private media sector.
The law allows lengthy prison sentences for reporting that gives encouragement to groups the government labels terrorists. The Committee to Protect Journalists says authorities are holding three Ethiopian journalists and two Swedish journalists on charges of anti-government plots and terrorism. All the journalists have denied wrongdoing. Read more from Voice of America »
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