By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
January 29 --
The attack on
Ethiopia's
Zone 9
bloggers,
which Inner
City Press covered
in late April,
now has
Ethiopia
moving forward
with a trial
against them.
On
January 29
Inner City
Press on
behalf of the
Free
UN Coalition
for Access
asked
the UN
Spokesman
Inner
City Press:
"about press
restrictions
in Ethiopia,
journalists
are denied
entry visas,
there are
restrictions
on what could
be
published.
Does the UN
believe that
the coverage
of the summit
and of its
operations in
Ethiopia are
impacted by
the
restrictions
on the
Internet and
the press
there?
Thanks."
Spokesman
Dujarric:
I don't have
any details on
Ethiopia, but
obviously, our
principled
stand is for
freedom of the
press and to
allow
journalists to
do their work
and obviously
a free and
accessible
Internet is
critical to
that.
I'm not aware
of any impact
on the AU
[African
Union] summit.
Later on
January 29,
the US State
Department
spokesperson
said
"The
United States
is concerned
by the
Ethiopian
Federal High
Court’s
January 28,
2015, decision
to proceed
with the trial
of six
bloggers and
three
independent
journalists on
charges under
the
Anti-Terrorism
Proclamation.
The decision
undermines a
free and open
media
environment—critical
elements for
credible and
democratic
elections,
which Ethiopia
will hold in
May 2015.
"We urge the
Ethiopian
government to
ensure that
the trial is
fair,
transparent,
and in
compliance
with
Ethiopia’s
constitutional
guarantees and
international
human rights
obligations.
We also urge
the Ethiopian
government to
ensure that
the trial is
free of
political
influence and
continues to
be open to
public
observation.
"The use of
the
Anti-Terrorism
Proclamation
in previous
cases against
journalists,
activists, and
opposition
political
figures raises
serious
questions
about the
implementation
of the law and
about the
sanctity of
Ethiopians’
constitutionally
guaranteed
rights to
freedom of the
press and
freedom of
expression.
"Freedom of
expression and
freedom of the
press are
fundamental
elements of a
democratic
society.
We call on the
government of
Ethiopia to
support
freedom of
expression and
freedom of the
press to
demonstrate
its commitment
to democracy
as it
approaches its
May 2015
national
elections. "
The UN
Secretariat of
Ban Ki-moon
has after
pressure
condemned just
this in Egypt.
But when Inner
City Press on
behalf of the
Free
UN Coalition
for Access
asked Ban's
deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq
about the
terrorism
charges on
July 18, at
first there
was no comment
at all.
Then the UN
Spokesperson's
Office sent
Inner City
Press a link
to a statement
by Navi Pillay
-- from May 2.
Nothing since?
Now later on
July 18, US
State
Department
spokesperson
Jen Psaki has
said:
The
United States
is deeply
concerned by
the Ethiopian
Federal High
Court’s July
18 decision to
press charges
against six
bloggers and
three
independent
journalists
under the
Anti-Terrorism
Proclamation.
We urge the
Ethiopian
government to
ensure that
the trial is
fair,
transparent,
and in
compliance
with
Ethiopia’s
constitutional
guarantees and
international
human rights
obligations.
We also urge
the Ethiopian
government to
ensure that
the trial is
open to public
observation
and free of
political
influence.
We reiterate
Secretary
Kerry’s May 1
call on
Ethiopia to
refrain from
using
anti-terrorism
laws as a
mechanism to
curb the free
exchange of
ideas.
The use of the
Anti-Terrorism
Proclamation
in previous
cases against
journalists,
activists, and
opposition
political
figures raises
serious
questions and
concerns about
the intent of
the law, and
about the
sanctity of
Ethiopians'
constitutionally
guaranteed
rights to
freedom of the
press and
freedom of
expression.
Freedom of
expression and
freedom of the
press are
fundamental
elections of a
democratic
society. The
arrest of
journalists
and bloggers,
and their
prosecution
under
terrorism
laws, has a
chilling
effect on the
media and all
Ethiopians’
right to
freedom of
expression.
Now
will Ban's UN
say something?
Watch this
site."
Previously
we asked,
after US-based
Twitter has
suspended
Natnail
Feleke's
account, what
would the US
say? Did
Twitter give
in to
Ethiopia, as
it has been
doing in
Turkey, where
Ergodan
has also
claimed it
have
"copyrights"
his own leaked
phone calls?
This recalls
an anti-Press
complaint to
the UN now
being banned
from Search by
Google under a
spurious
US Digital
Millennium
Copyright Act
complaint,
here. In
the UN itself,
a request has
been made to have
UNTV censor
even cut-aways
of opponents,
click here for
that. The
new Free
UN Coalition
for Access
is asking the
UN and
countries'
diplomats at
the UN about
all this.
Watch
this site.
Footnote:
Outright
censorship
as well as
freedom of the
press issues
have arisen at
the UN with
respect to
Voice of
America,
on whose
Broadcasting
Board of
Governors John
Kerry serves.
Freedom of
Information
Act requests
have been
filed with the
BBG - and with the State
Department,
including with
regard to South
Sudan and
the US
Atrocities
Prevention
Board. The
issues are
being pursued
by the new Free UN Coalition for Access. Watch
this site.
, 
