CPJ asks Rice to
discuss Ethiopian press freedom
December 4, 2007
The Hon. Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20520
Via Facsimile: 202 647-2283
Dear Secretary Rice:
In advance of your meeting with Ethiopian officials
in Addis Ababa , the Committee to Protect
Journalists would like to draw your attention to our
concerns regarding press freedom conditions there.
You may know that 15 Ethiopian journalists were
recently released from prison, but this development
belies the country’s sustained record of contempt
for independent media, which manifests itself in a
variety of legal and administrative restraints. The
15 jailed journalists were sentenced on trumped-up
charges such as genocide in connection with the
media’s coverage of Ethopia’s 2005 post-election
unrest.
On November 26, the U.S. Federal Communications
Commission confirmed that the Amharic and Oromo
language broadcasts of Voice of America and Deutche
Welle to Ethiopia have been jammed for the past two
weeks. Information Minister Berhane Hailu told CPJ
that outside reports of the jamming were not
credible.
CPJ is also concerned about the whereabouts, legal
status, and health of Eritrean journalists
Tesfalidet Kidane Tesfazghi and Saleh Idris Gama of
Eritrean state broadcaster Eri-TV. Official
statements and videotape indicate that the Ethiopian
government has been holding them incommunicado since
their arrest by Kenyan authorities as they attempted
to enter Somalia late last year. In September, CPJ
wrote a letter to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi
inquiring about these journalists’ status, but did
not receive a response. Foreign Ministry spokesman
Wahid Belay told CPJ in July that he could not
provide any information regarding this matter.
In addition, out of the 15 journalists released this
year, at least seven felt compelled to flee the
country following harassment and surveillance by
government security forces. Three others have yet to
receive publishing licenses to resume their work
despite fulfilling all legal requirements necessary
for publication. Journalists Sisay Agena, Serkalem
Fassil, and Eskinder Nega applied for licenses to
launch Lualawi and Habsheba newspaper since
September but have yet to be approved.
The October launch of Ethiopia’s first private
commercial radio station, Sherger Radio, and private
weekly, Addis Neger—the first independent political
publication since 2005—were encouraging signs that
Ethiopia is concerned about strengthening its press
freedom environment. In light of the strong ties
America shares with Ethiopia , we urge you to engage
the Ethiopian government on this issue in your
upcoming visit. Thank you for your time and
consideration.
Sincerely,
Joel Simon
Executive Director
The Committee to Protect Journalists
CC:
H.E. Sobusa Martin Gula-Ndebele, Ambassador of
Ethiopia to the United Nations
H.E. Raphael Tuju, Minister of Foreign Affairs of
the Republic of Kenya
H.E. Donald Yamamoto, U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia
H.E. Dr. Samuel Assefa, Ambassador of the Federal
Republic of Ethiopia to the United States
Faith Pansy Tlakula, African Commission Special
Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression
Reine Alapini-Gansou, African Commission on Human
Rights Special Rapporteur on
Human Rights Defenders
U.S. Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Chairman,
Committee on Foreign Relations
U.S. Senator Richard G. Lugar, Ranking Minority
Member, Committee on Foreign Relations, and
Co-Chair, Congressional Caucus for Freedom of the
Press
U.S. Senator Russell D. Feingold, Chairman,
Subcommittee on African Affairs, Committee on
Foreign Relations
U.S. Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Member, Committee
on Foreign Relations, and Co-Chair, Congressional
Caucus for Freedom of the Press
U.S. Senator John E. Sununu, Member, Committee on
Foreign Relations
U.S. Representative Tom Lantos, Chairman, Committee
on Foreign Affairs
U.S. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ranking
Minority Member, Committee on Foreign Affairs
U.S. Representative Donald M. Payne, Chairman,
Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, Committee
on Foreign Affairs
U.S. Representative Chris Smith, Ranking Minority
Member, Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health,
Committee on Foreign Affairs
U.S. Representative Adam Schiff, Founder and
Co-Chair, Congressional Caucus for Freedom of the
Press
U.S. Representative Mike Pence, Co-Chair,
Congressional Caucus for Freedom of the Press
U.S. Representative Donald M. Payne,
Ethiopian Human Rights Council
American Society of Newspaper Editors
Amnesty International
Article 19 (United Kingdom)
Artikel 19 (The Netherlands )
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression
Freedom House
Human Rights Watch
Index on Censorship
International Center for Journalists
International Federation of Journalists
International PEN
International Press Institute
Michael G. Kozak, United States Assistant Secretary
for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
The Newspaper Guild
The North American Broadcasters Association
Overseas Press Club
The Society of Professional Journalists
World Association of Newspapers
World Press Freedom Committee