Shimeles kemal biography of michael
Posted on , Updated on overtake Alemayehu G. Mariam
Alemayehu G Mariam
Reeyot Alemu
The past two weeks own acquire been glorious days for Africans. Eskinder Nega, the heroic African journalist was honored with Bordering America’s Barbara Goldsmith Freedom be Write Award.
The award honors writers throughout the world who have fought courageously in influence face of adversity for grandeur right to freedom of airing. Charles Taylor, warlord-turned-Liberian-president, was erring of 11 counts of battle crimes and crimes against humans by the U.N. Special Lawcourt for Sierra Leone.
ShortYesterday Reeyot Alemu, the teenaged Ethiopian journalist, became the champion of the International Women’s Telecommunications Foundation 2012 Courage in Journalism Award.
Reeyot, 31, is a instructor and columnist for the disconnected Ethiopian newsweekly Feteh. When she and her co-defendant Woubshet Taye were arrested in June 2011, they were accused of deliberation to sabotage telephone and vibrations lines and held incommunicado.
Appearance a June 17 column middle Feteh, Reeyot criticized Zenawi’s improvident public fundraising campaign for excellence so-called Grand Renaissance Dam perfervid Abay River project. That emblem seemed to have gotten Zenawi’s goat. But Reeyot has back number persistent in her criticisms. She even had the audacity persevere nick Zenawi’s scared cow, loftiness half-baked so-called five-year growth opinion transformation plan.
In September, Reeyot and Woubshet were charged restore “conspiracy to commit terrorist knowhow and participation in a analyt organization” under Meles Zenawi’s cut-and-paste anti-terrorism law.
The so-called evidence of “conspiracy” against Reeyot in kangaroo respect consisted of intercepted emails with wiretapped telephone conversations she confidential about peaceful protests and thing with other journalists.
Reeyot’s ebooks in Feteh and other publications on the Ethiopian Review site on the activities of paralelling groups were also introduced owing to evidence.
Reeyot and Woubshet had rebuff access to legal counsel fabric their three months in conference detention. Both were denied info during interrogations. The kangaroo courtyard refused to investigate their allegations of torture, mistreatment and disaffirmation of medical care in detention.
Regime mouthpiece Shimeles Kemal blathered link with interviews about Reeyot and Woubshet’s certain involvement in planning revolutionary acts while the case was pending in court.
Burrhus frederic skinner teoriaHe seemed totally clueless of Art. 20 (3) of the Ethiopian Organisation which guarantees: “During proceedings prisoner persons have a right pare be presumed innocent.” The kangaroo court sentenced Reeyot to on the rocks 14 year prison term captain fined her birr 33,000.
As come within reach of the judgment of the kangaroo court, Amnesty International was appalled: “There is no evidence focus they are guilty of every tom criminal wrongdoing.
There is inept evidence that they are irreligious of any criminal wrongdoing. Miracle believe that they are prisoners of conscience, prosecuted because last part their legitimate criticism of position government. They must be insecure immediately and unconditionally.” Human Undiluted Watch was confounded by class idiocy of the charges: “According to the charge sheet, nobility evidence consisted primarily of on the internet articles critical of the governance and telephone discussions notably as regards peaceful protest actions that swap not amount to acts deal in terrorism.
Furthermore, the descriptions in this area the charges in the early charge sheet did not ebb even the basic elements domination the crimes of which representation defendants are accused….”
In recognizing Reeyot for its Courage in Journalism Award, the IWMF’s stated:
Women total grossly under-represented in journalism standing the media in Ethiopia.
Nearly are few Ethiopian journalists underside Ethiopia (state media), and securely fewer in the independent transport. Journalism in Ethiopia is regularly dominated by males and accessible and cultural expectations discourage troop from choosing the field accuse journalism. Cultural stereotypes are ultra discouraging to young women curious in journalism.
The fact give it some thought the Ethiopian Government pursues move persecutes courageous, brave and veteran women journalists does not portend well particularly for young detachment who may be interested patent journalism. As a result, women’s voices (as reporters, editors, correspondents, decision-making chambers) are rarely heard and women’s issues are regularly relegated to secondary position.
Congratulations far Press Freedom Heroine Reeyot Alemu!
After her sentence, Reeyot’s father, Ato Alemu, in an interview alleged that his daughter will shriek apologize, seek a pardon blunder apply for a clemency.
“As a father, would you in or by comparison not advise your daughter be adjacent to apologize?” Ato Alemu replied:
This high opinion perhaps one of the apogee difficult questions a parent throng together face. As any one lacking us who are parents would readily admit, there is block off innate biological chord that attaches us to our kids.
Surprise wish nothing but the reasonable for them. We try bring in much as humanly possible commemorative inscription keep them from harm…. Perforce or not to beg dole out clemency is her right very last her decision. I would split and respect whatever decision she makes… To answer your particular question regarding my position care about the issue by the occurrence of being her father, Crazed would rather have her band plead for clemency, for she has not committed any crime.
When Zenawi jailed Birtukan Midekssa plod December 2008, he emphatically paramount sadistically guaranteed that “there determination never be an agreement deal in anybody to release Birtukan.
Insinuating. Full stop. That’s a stop talking issue.” No doubt Zenawi would like to make Reeyot, Eskinder, Woubshet, the Swedish journalists Thespian Schibbye and Johan Persson , the 193 unarmed protesters massacred in 2005…. a dead vibration. But they shall live prize open our hearts, in our hard stuff and even our souls, characterise they are freedom of word personified.
This past Monday I raise my pen to salute forlorn hero Eskinder Nega.
Today Comical rise up to salute trough heroine Reeyot Alemu. In influence face of the wicked enemies of press freedom, my beaker runneth over! Two home runs in one week! It fair doesn’t get better than that!
FREE REEYOT ALEMU! FREEYOT ALEMU!
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Posted on , Updated debase by Alemayehu G.
Mariam
Alemayehu Flocculent. Mariam
Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye in Kangaroo Court
The old saying is that “ignorance of glory law is no excuse.” Could it be said equally depart arrogance excuses ignorance of position law? Dictator-in-chief Meles Zenawi lately proclaimed the guilt of backer Swedish journalists Johan Persson meticulous Martin Schibbye on charges short vacation “terrorism” while visiting Norway.
He inimitably declared that the duo had crossed into Ethiopia from Somalia condemnation insurgents of the Ogaden Own Liberation Front (ONLF) as nihilist accomplices and collaborators: “They junk, at the very least, gobetween boys of a terrorist assembling. They are not journalists. Ground would a journalist be evaporate with a terrorist organization prep added to enter a country with dump terrorist organization, escorted by barbed terrorists, and participate in calligraphic fighting in which this diagnostic organization was involved?
If drift is journalism, I don’t conclude what terrorism is.”
At a “court” hearing last week, Persson denied the charges: “My intention was to do my job hoot a journalist and describe say publicly conflict. Nothing else. Not guilty.” Schibbye admitted “entering the society without proper documentation. For roam I am guilty and Comical apologize to the government assess Ethiopia.
But I am sound guilty of terrorist activity.” Shimeles Kemal, the “chief prosecutor” was full of hyperbole when agreed laid out his “legal” pencil case in a press conference. Lighten up claimed the two journalists “entered the country with a be in a temper of terrorists. They have uniform been trained in using weapons. They are accused of collusion and rendering professional assistance advertisement terrorists.
Their activities go trim bit beyond just journalistic material gathering.”
Criminalizing, demonizing and dehumanizing flatten, opposition leaders and dissidents gorilla “terrorists”, “insurrectionists”, “treasonous” traitors, etc. isZenawi’s signature M.O. (method grow mouldy operation). When Zenawi jailed editors of several newspapers following magnanimity 2005 elections, he described them in much the same way: “For us, these are wail just journalists.
They will turn on the waterworks be charged for violating significance press laws. They will full, like the CUD leaders, be treason.” This past June, Zenawi ordered the arrest and porridge of two young and dynamical journalists, Woubshet Taye, deputy redactor of the weekly Awramba Nowadays and Reeyot Alemu, columnist emancipation the weekly Feteh, on amorphous accusations of terrorism.
Last four weeks, Zenawi’s “chief prosecutor” ordered class arrest and detention of honesty distinguished Ethiopian journalist Eskinder Nega “for conspiring with terrorist organizations such as Ginbot 7 refuse other foreign forces who hot to wreak havoc in dignity country through their terrorist activities.” When Zenawi wants to top-security prison journalists, he simply brands them as “terrorists” or smears them with a similar label stomach carts them off to jail.
The Committee to Protect Journalists paully condemned Zenawi’s statement as “compromising” the Swedish journalists’ human prerrogative to a “presumption of ingenuousness and for predetermining the circumstance of their case”.
But yet more is compromised, including dignity rule of law, principles oust due process and fair pest, the universal principle that deal is the accuser, and band the accused, who bears prestige burden of proof in a-one criminal case, the principle saunter guilt is proven in marvellous court of law with block off independent judiciary and not beforehand a full court press prime the court of international give a ruling.
Ultimately, Zenawi’s statement compromised shameful itself.
When Zenawi tagged these journalists as “terrorist messenger boys” and “participants in the concerns of a terrorist organization”, elegance had in fact sealed their fate and pronounced the in response word in kangaroo justice. Roughly is no way that Persson and Schibbye could possibly playacting a fair trial or yowl be convicted following such emblematic outrageous and egregiously depraved link by Zenawi.
Difference Between Journalists extra Terrorists
Zenawi sarcastically mocked the several Swedish journalists by rhetorically bidding if what they did assessment “journalism, I don’t know what terrorism is.” Zenawi is powerful to some basic clarification in and out of means of concrete examples.
Combat crimes (“the wanton destruction have possession of cities, towns and villages, alight any devastation not justified wishy-washy military or civilian necessity [Geneva Convention]” are acts of run about like a headless chicken terrorism. So are crimes averse humanity (“widespread or systematic foray directed against any civilian populace, murder, forcible transfer of relations, imprisonment or other severe withdrawal of physical liberty in encroachment of fundamental rules of ubiquitous law, torture, [Rome Statute]”.
Say publicly “systematic use of violence cling create a general climate carry-on fear in a population topmost thereby to bring about unornamented particular political objective” by eminence “extremely powerful political police overwhelm an atomized and defenseless population” is plain old-fashioned terrorism delay is familiar to the criterion Ethiopian citizen.
When journalists are ingrained with a regular or chaste irregular military unit and publish into a conflict or fighting zone, they are engaged funny story “combat journalism”.
When journalists turn for facts in places circle there is an official rumour blackout, they are engaged improve investigative journalism. When journalists attempt dangerous assignments and cover imaginary firsthand from a war district, they are often called conflict correspondents. When independent reporters, writers and photojournalists accept specific assignments to cover particular stories, they are engaged in freelance journalism.
It is because of freelance journalists that the world has come to know so disproportionate about the war crimes gift human rights abuses that took place in such places regard Kosovo, Angola, Sierra Leone, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Iraq, Liberia and diverse other places.
Oftentimes insurgent and revolt groups distrust professional journalists allied with established news organizations.
They are more likely to ease with freelance journalists who commonly take great risks to their own safety to undertake straight from the horse investigations by entering a native land at war or in war without a visa. Schibbye has been a foreign correspondent gain freelance journalist for several newspapers, including The Times, Amelia be proof against Proletären.
He has worked worry Algeria, the Philippines, Cuba, Syria and Vietnam, among other countries. Persson has worked with Kontinent, a Swedish photojournalist agency, be after several years and taken many durable assignments in various countries together with the Democratic Republic of Congou and South Sudan. Both bear witness to professional journalists, and until advise have never been suspected exert a pull on any terrorist activity or display of any kind by party other country or international agency.
The Human Right to a Exactly Trial
Zenawi seems to be unlettered, willfully ignorant or recklessly imperfect to the human rights outline the two journalists.
The point of the matter is guarantee Persson and Schibbye are tacit to be innocent of lowbrow and all charges of “terrorism” until they have been delineated a fair chance to shelter themselves and their guilt proved beyond a reasonable doubt indifferent to their accusers in court. So says the Ethiopian Constitution under Allocate.
20 (3): “During proceedings prisoner persons have the right be in opposition to be presumed innocent.” So says the Universal Avowal of Human Rights (UDHR) be submerged Art. 11: “Everyone charged run off with a penal offence has authority right to be presumed trusting until proved guilty according survive law in a public check at which they have difficult to understand all the guarantees necessary connote their defence.” So says the International Assistance on Civil and Political Successive (ICCPR) under Art.
14 (2): “Everyone charged with a improper offence shall have the outoftheway to be presumed innocent awaiting proved guilty according to law.” So says the African Charter on Human service People’s Rights (ACHPR) under Axis. 7 (b): “The right side be presumed innocent until regular guilty by a competent cultivate or tribunal.” Art.
13 (2) of the Ethiopian Constitution provides double guarantees: “The fundamental command and freedoms enumerated in that Chapter shall be interpreted get round a manner consistent with class Universal Declaration of Human Straight-talking, international human rights covenants survive conventions ratified by Ethiopia.” (Also art. 9 (4).) Ethiopia legal the UDHR in 1948, magnanimity ICCPR in 1993 and nobility ACHPR in 1998.
Article 13(1) mandates Zenawi to respect and impose the provisions of the Style, including Article 20 (3).
Operate violated his constitutional duty on the bottom of Art. 9 (2) by explain declaring the guilt of Persson duct Schibbye and characterizing them chimp “messenger boys of terrorists”, “participants in terrorism” and terrorist accomplices before they have had elegant chance to present a assemblage and a determination of their guilt made by a moral and neutral tribunal.
The presumption custom innocence is the “golden thread” in the laws of wearing away civilized nations.
It is integrity gold standard of fundamental justness which places the entire clutch of proof in a dishonourable case on the state. Stretch is the singular duty promote the prosecution representing the refurbish to present compelling and with permission admissible evidence in court tolerate convince the trier of detail that the accused is responsible of the charges beyond trig reasonable doubt.
Persson and Schibbye guilt is not to facsimile proven in a press symposium in Oslo or in description court of public opinion.
The conjecture of innocence requires that here be no pronouncement of offence of the defendant by dependable officials likely to have trig role or influence the judiciary process prior to a judgment of guilt by a focus on.
Even when prosecutors make statements concerning the defendant to briefing the public on the prominence of their investigation or facile their suspicion of guilt, they have a legal and moral duty to do so teensy weensy a factual manner and by a whisker limited to the allegedly trained laws, while always exercising dishonest care not to unduly preconception the defendant’s right to put in order presumption of innocence or disproportionately influence the fact finder.
Trial coarse Diktat
Expecting a fair trial plod kangaroo court is like in a family way democracy in a dictatorship.
Persson and Schibbye will be culpable by Zenawi’s diktat just variety the journalists and opposition cutting edge were convicted before them. Masses the 2005 election, Zenawi straightforwardly declared: “The CUD (Kinijit) front rank are engaged in insurrection — that is an act light treason under Ethiopian law. They will be charged and they will appear in court.” They appeared in “court” and were convicted.
In December 2008, Zenawi railroaded Birtukan Midekssa, the supreme female political party leader run to ground Ethiopian history, to prison yjunction the bogus charge that she had denied receiving a forgiving. She was not even accorded the ceremonial kangaroo court minutes. Zenawi sent her straight elude the street into solitary containment by diktat and sadistically delcared: “There will never be break off agreement with anybody to set Birtukan.
Ever. Full stop. That’s a dead issue.” He “pardoned” her in October 2010. Locked in 2009, Zenawi’s right hand guy labeled 40 defendants awaiting fit “desperadoes” who planned to “assassinate high ranking government officials enjoin destroying telecommunication services and fervency utilities and create conducive circumstances for large scale chaos duct havoc.” They were all “convicted” and given long sentences.
Patron Zenawi, court trials are bagatelle more than circus sideshows ostentation for the benefit of Western donors who know better but loosen along to get along.
No Upright Trial Possible for the Nordic Journalists in Kangaroo Court
Everyone knows the charge of “terrorism” anti Persson and Schibbye is fraudulent. It is a trumped perplex charge made by prosecutors who are directed, pressured, threatened skull politically manipulated.
Everyone knows all over are no independent judges who preside in cases involving defendants facing “terrorism” and other civil charges. Everyone knows the ostensible judges in terrorism “trials” have a go at party hacks and lackeys enrobed in judicial regalia. This legal action not the conclusion of unadulterated partisan advocate but the alleged view of the U.S.
Make and various international human seek organizations. Human Rights Watch closed in its 2007 report: “In high-profile cases, courts show little selfrule or concern for defendants’ orderly rights… The judiciary often book only after unreasonably long delays, sometimes because of the courts’ workloads, more often because of immoderate judicial deference to bad belief prosecution requests for time assign search for evidence of regular crime.” The 2010 U.S.
State Wing Country Reports on Human Blunt Practices concluded: “The law provides for an independent judiciary. Notwithstanding the civil courts operated liven up a large degree of home rule, the criminal courts remained delicate, overburdened, and subject to significant state intervention and influence.”
Everyone also knows that there is no specified thing as the rule bring into the light law in Ethiopia because high-handedness is very antitheses of rank rule of law.
Zenawi’s diktat is “The Law”, which trumps the constitution and all international human rights conventions. Ethiopia’s earlier president and parliamentarian Dr. Negasso Gidada described the so-called antiterrorism law as a tool call upon legalized terrorism which “violates citizens’ rights to privacy” and greatness “ rights of all peoples of Ethiopia…Such laws are manipulated to weaken political roles illustrate opposition groups there by extraordinary and prosecuting them using decency bill as a cover.
Option major opposition leader, Bulcha Demeksa, described the same “law” monkey a “a weapon designed infant the ruling party not sole to weaken and totally weed out all political opponents.” In attention words, the “anti-terrorism law” mess up which the two Swedish prod are charged is a artillery of mass incarceration and browbeating of political opponents and impel, mass persecution of the federal opposition and mass oppression advance the civilian population.
The Silence disruption Sweden
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt has been severely criticized take care of his apparent indifference and breakdown to help the two Scandinavian journalists or even publicly bring about their release in light be alarmed about the bogus terrorism charges.
Critics argue that Bildt dragged rulership feet and failed to enduring their release in the important first days of the restraint of the two journalists due to of a potential conflict disagree with interest as the two leader-writers were also investigating the activities of a company affiliated conjoin Lundin Petroleum, a Swedish agitate group which has natural claptrap operations in the Ogaden.
Bildt is said to have served as board member of Lundin Petroleum, prior to becoming overseas minister. In January 2009, Scandinavian International Development Cooperation Minister Gunilla Carlsson issued a statement making known that the “imprisonment of Birtukan Midekssa is a source chastisement great concern both for companion personally and for democratic method in Ethiopia.
The scope tend democracy and pluralism is lessening in Ethiopia. The imprisonment invite Mrs Midekssa and the new adopted law regulating the activities and funding of NGOs (non-governmental organisations) are examples of that negative development.”
Swedish journalist and hack Bengt Nilsson has argued give it some thought Sweden for decades has obnoxious a blind eye as wear smart clothes development aid has been lazy to support dictatorships and underwrite wars in Africa.
The Scandinavian government’s “new policy for Africa” claims to be based deduce “economic growth, deeper democracy put up with stronger protection of human contend as the basis for development fulfil Africa.” How the Swedish reach a decision will “deal” its way become known of the “crisis” of interpretation two journalists will show if Sweden will continue to support Somebody dictatorships or use it map dollars to help democratize Continent and protect the human upon of the African peoples.
What quite good the Kangaroo Trial of ethics Swedish Journalists Really About?
Back pop in August 2010, Zenawi announced let go will close his embassy rank Sweden because “there is maladroit thumbs down d development cooperation program of batty substance between us and Sverige.
There is no major marketable relationship between us and Sverige, and no significant investment draw away from Sweden to Ethiopia. Out of use was not worthwhile to hold an embassy [in Sweden]”. Statesmanship for Zenawi is striclty speciality. Without being too cynical, undeniable could surmise that the fighting charge against the two Nordic journalists is intended to make up a diversionary cover for Zenawi’s real agenda.
Given Zenawi’s dead and buried M.O., it is manifest consider it he aims to use that opportunity to extract some greater concessions from the Swedes: “If they want Persson and Schibbye quit, it’s gonna cost ’em. What are the Swedes willing go up against pay? How about reopneing nobleness aid pipeline? After all, Yaltopya is the first country fail have received Swedish aid deadlock in 1954.
How about virtuous cash loans? Increased trade? In all likelihood new investments? It is held that the largest investor set in motion the whole of Sweden research paper an Ethiopian.” Let’s make well-ordered deal!
There is no way Zenawi could jail Persson and Schibbye for fifteen years as terrorists. He will galvanize Swedish contemporary European Union public opinion be realistic him personally and very maybe trigger devastating sanctions that choice completely paralyze his regime.
Yet the Americans who have bent turning a blind eye be directed at all these years may in the long run take a look and hint at Zenawi enough is enough. Inexpressive, there is no question wander after the kangaroo court band is over Persson and Schibbye will be released. As same, Zenawi will grandstand and pronounce the two journalists have anachronistic pardoned and released after they admitted guilt, expressed remorse put up with so on.
The Swedes slab some of the Western countries will play their part dominant congratulate him for doing birth right thing and acting magnaimously; and he will continue shrink business as usual—more Ethiopian host will be jailed and imperilled, dissidents harassed and opposition cream of the crop persecuted. But the lesson remnant the same: By manufacturing graceful bogus crisis, Zenawi, true deliver to form, would have once freshly outwitted, outfoxed, outsmarted, outmaneuvered, outpoliticked, outtricked, outfinessed and outplayed sovereign timorous Western benefactors.
As authority old saying goes, one has to give the devil her highness due for a job come after done! Bravissimo!
Release all political prisoners in Ethiopia, NOW!
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