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Ethiopia Extends Court Proceedings against ‘Zone Nine’ Bloggers, Journalists [Freedom House]

Washington

Following another court hearing in Addis Abba, Ethiopia, on charges against the Zone Nine bloggers and journalists, and recess of the case until December 16, Freedom House issued the following statement:

“The amended charges read in court are the same vague and unfounded accounts prosecutors leveled earlier against the bloggers and journalists.”  said Vukasin Petrovic, director of Africa programs at Freedom House. “The defendants are on trial simply because they exercised their constitutionally guaranteed rights of freedom of expression. The court should overturn the charges and order the defendants’ release, rather than making pointless adjournments, for this was the bloggers’ 12th court appearance since their arrest in April.”

Ethiopia is rated Not Free in Freedom in the World 2014, Freedom of the Press 2014 and Freedom on the Net 2014.

Freedom House is an independent watchdog organization that supports democratic change, monitors the status of freedom around the world, and advocates for democracy and human rights.

Filed in: Current Affairs / News