Police Given 10 more Days to 'Investigate' Ethiopian journalists, bloggers under custody: AddisStandard

TPLF Arrests Facebook and Twitter!: Meles Zenawi is running Ethiopia from his grave

Attention: JUSTICE has been crucified for Nth times in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa early this afternoon by TPLF, accusing the most priceless next generation of activists who have no other political, economical or other agenda other than being a voice to millions of voiceless Ethiopians. This party has done it several times over the last two decades with impunity and yet the only thing its western backers are doing is, issuing countless statements saying how they are concerned about the situation. Such statements has never brought any meaningful changes and will never unless EU and the US put a pressure on the regime to stop its madness against tens of thousands of innocent Ethiopians across the country.

It gives me shivers down my spine when I think of TPLF mafiosi who are trying to connect Zone9Bloggers and journalists with the recent unrest in Ethiopia. Here is how Mahlet Fasil of AddisStandard did the reportage about today's kangaroo court  hearings where TPLF cadres were masquerading as prosecutors, police, witnesses and of course judges.

A court in Addis Abeba today granted the police investigating the case of three independent journalists and six bloggers ten more days before

the next hearing.

According to defense lawyer Amha Meokonnen, the police have submitted an application for no-bail at the Arada First Instance Court, First Bench claiming the investigation was a serious matter.

No charges were brought as of yet but the police have said the detainees have more collaborators who may help them to escape the country. The police have also said they were yet to finish confiscating equipments belonging to detainees including computers and printed documents, and they were yet to have some of the documents translated from English to Amharic.

Defense lawyer Amha Meokonnen further said that the police indicated that the investigation may lead to a link between detainees and unnamed foreign organizations engaged in terrorism activities. “They accused some of the detainees of traveling to Kenya and other countries in Africa” to take trainings intended to disrupt the upcoming general elections in Ethiopia.

The court has granted the no-bail application by the police until May 17^th when the next hearing will be. However, the court suspended the incommunicado status and allowed family visits to the detainees as of tomorrow May 8^th. One of the nine detained journalist Asmamaw Gebregiorgis, senior editor at the weekly Amharic Addis Guday, was allowed to have a visit from family members this morning on the bases of poor health.

Depressing

Friends, family members and a few members of foreign diplomats were at the court hearing which was already postponed from 10 am in the morning to 2pm this afternoon. Many friends took to twitter to express their shock at the sight of the three journalists and six bloggers handcuffed and surrounded by the police on their way to the court.

Edom, Natty and Atnaf just passed near us. Atnaf looks strong. Edy and Natty look tired. The arrogance of the police is beyond imagination.
— Hallelujah Lulie (@halelule) May 7, 2014

twitted Hallelujah Lulie.

 

It's so depressing seeing @EthioLiberty & other bright citizens handcuffed like a criminal #FreeZone9Bloggers
— Ezana Haddis (@KinEz_II) May 7, 2014

twitted another Ethiopian Ezana Haddis from the scene of the court. The crowd was not allowed inside the court room.

In a related development, the police have detained Kiya Tsegaye, a law graduate, was detained by the police at the scene of the court and was taken to Maekelawi, the same center where the nine detainees are kept since they were first detained in April 25^th and 26^th.

On April 25th and 26th the police have detained journalist Tesfalem Waldyes, who was freelancing for the weekly Addis Fortune and the monthly Addis Standard, freelance journalist Edom Kassaye, and Asmamaw Gebregiorgis, senior editor at an Amharic weekly Addis Guday, as well as six members of the Zone9 blog, Befekadu Hailu. Mahlet Fantahun, Atnaf Berhane, Natnael Feleke, Zelalem Kibret and Abel Wabela. 

Source: AddisStandard