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Imprisoned
January 10
Binyam Tadesse, Agere, IMPRISONED
Binyam, publisher and manager of Agere, was arrested and detained in connection with a Jan. 6 jailbreak from the Addis Ababa Central Prison. He was released on unspecified bail on July 8.
February
Terefe Mengesha, Roha, IMPRISONED, LEGAL ACTION
In early February, Terefe, the former editor in chief of the Amharic-language weekly Roha, was sentenced by the Central High Court to an additional one-year prison term just as he completed a one-year sentence for "publishing and distributing false information" and for "inciting the public to anxiety and insecurity." Terefe was leaving the prison grounds when policemen re-arrested him and transported him to Ma'ekelawi Central Prison in Addis Abba. Terefe's original conviction cited two articles, published in the October and December 1994 issues of Roha, entitled "Colonel Mengistu on the Offensive in Gambella" and "Woyane Combatants Suffered Heavy Defeats in South, West, and East Ethiopia."
March 1
Iskinder Nega, Habesha, IMPRISONED
Iskinder, the editor in chief of the popular independent English-language weekly Habesha, was abducted. Iskinder's mother reported that armed plainclothes police broke into their home in Addis Ababa, apprehended him and pushed him into a police van. He is reportedly being kept incommunicado. Police have denied arresting him, although his mother recorded the licence plate number of the van, which was also marked "police." On March 26, Iskinder appeared in court. He was charged with "writing derogatory statements against the government and government officials" and with "depicting officials erroneously in a manner that could abuse their very person." The charges brought against Iskinder cite a cartoon published in Habesha in late 1995, which depicted someone under President Bill Clinton's foot. Government officials claimed the person under Clinton's foot was Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zanawi. Iskinder was initially denied bail, even though he was legally entitled to produce a guarantor or surety, and was remanded into custody at Ma'ekelawi. On March 28, Iskinder appeared before court and was granted bail of 5,000 birr (US$ 1,000).
March 4
Aklilu Tadesse, Andebet, IMPRISONED
Aklilu, owner and editor in chief of Andebet and former editor in chief of Maebel, was detained for failing to appear in court. He was released during the first week of April.
March 7
Solomon Lemma, Wolafen, IMPRISONED, LEGAL ACTION
Solomon, editor of the independent Amharic-language weekly newspaper Wolafen, was sentenced to an 18-month prison term for "publishing false reports in order to incite war and unrest." The reports in question, a series of articles published in 1995, were about an insurgency group fighting in three provinces in western Ethiopia. Solomon had just completed a one-year sentence without parole.
March 25
Tesfaye Tegen, Beza, IMPRISONED
Tesfaye, the editor in chief of the Amharic weekly Beza, was summoned to appear at Ma'ekelawi Central Prison in Addis Ababa where he was asked to present a personal guarantor for 10,000 birr (US$2,000). When Tesfaye failed to do so, he was transported to Central State Prison where he is currently being held incommunicado. The summons cited a cartoon, published in Beza in late 1995, portraying Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and other government officials as members of a soccer team. Meles was depicted as much larger than his colleagues.
March 26
Dereje Haile, Ethiop, IMPRISONED
Five editors, reporters and clerical workers, Tekwami and Ethiop, HARASSED
Tekwami and Ethiop, CENSORED
State Security police arrested Dereje, a journalist with the newspaper Ethiop, and five other editors, reporters and clerical employees with Ethiop and the newspaper Tekwami. The arrests were made as the papers were being printed in the city of Bole. Police seized the newspapers' galleys and transported the journalists and clerical workers to Ma'ekelawi Central Prison. Everyone was released later that day except Dereje, who was released on April 5. The newspapers' galleys were not returned.
April
Bekele Dissassa, IMPRISONED
Bekele, a distributor of publications, including the newspaper Urji and a magazine of the same name, in the Welega Province town of Nekemte, was detained. He was released from prison during the first week of June.
April 3
Alemayehu Kifle, Genanaw, IMPRISONED, LEGAL ACTION
Alemayehu, the editor in chief of the newspaper Genanaw, was arrested without charge as he was leaving a court in Nazareth, about 100 kilometers east of Addis Ababa, the capital. Just prior to his arrest, Alemayehu had been released from prison, where he had served time in connection with an article comparing Nazareth prisons to Nazi death camps. Cpl. Kassa Wayessa, director of prisons in Nazareth, ordered Alemayehu's rearrest. The editor was transferred to a prison in Addis Ababa and then released on May 6 on bail of 5,000 birr (US$800).
April 17
Tamrat Gemeda, Seife Nebelbal, IMPRISONED
Tamrat, acting editor in chief of the independent Amharic weekly newspaper Seife Nebelbal, was detained at the Central Criminal Investigation Office prison. He was released on June 5 on bail of an unspecified amount.
November 22
Taye Belachew, Tobia , IMPRISONED
Taye, editor in chief of the privately owned weekly magazine Tobia and the monthly magazine of the same name, was arrested without charge by plainclothes security police officers at the publication's editorial offices. He is being detained at Ma'ekelawi Central Criminal Investigation Office. Police interrogated Taye about an article titled "A Strategy to Reunite Eritrea With Ethiopia," written by University of California at Davis Professor Tilahun Yilma and published in the November issue of Tobia. On Dec. 9, Taye appeared in Addis Ababa District Court, where Ma'ekelawi police, claiming they had lost their files, requested that Taye be detained for an additional 14 days. The court granted the request.
November 25
Anteneh Merid, Tobia, IMPRISONED
Anteneh, the deputy editor in chief of the weekly magazine Tobia and the monthly magazine of the same name, was arrested without charge and detained at Ma'ekelawi Central Criminal Investigation Office. Police interrogated Anteneh about an article published in the November issue of Tobia titled "A Strategy to Reunite Eritrea With Ethiopia." On Dec. 9, Anteneh appeared in the Addis Ababa District Court. The court granted a police request to detain him for an additional 14 days because they had lost their files. He remains in prison.
December 5
Sintayehu Abate, Remet, IMPRISONED
Sintayehu, editor in chief of the privately owned Amharic weekly magazine Remet, was rearrested on the day he should have been released after completing a one-year sentence. The new arrest came after his magazine published articles and a photograph that the public prosecutor deemed pornographic. Sintayehu remains in Addis Ababa Central Prison.
December 8
Tefera Kitila, Tikuret, IMPRISONED
During the week of Dec. 8, Tefera, editor in chief of the privately owned Ahmaric weekly Tikuret, was arrested and detained without charge. Authorities have not provided any reasons for his detention.
December 11
Aklilu Tadesse, Ma'ebel, IMPRISONED
Aklilu, editor in chief of the Amharic weekly Ma'ebel, was arrested and detained without charge at Ma'ekelawi Central Criminal Investigation Office. Officials gave no reason for the arrest.
December 11
Dawit Kebede, Fyameta, IMPRISONED
Dawit, publisher of the Amharic weekly Fyameta, was arrested and detained in the Woreta Ten police station, in the district of Woreta. Observers believe his arrest is in connection with Fyameta's Dec. 4 story titled "Police College Has Trained a Thief."
December 11
Daniel Dershe, Kitab, IMPRISONED, LEGAL ACTION
The High Court found Daniel, editor in chief of the now-defunct Amharic-language weekly Kitab, guilty of an unspecified charge and immediately remanded him into police custody. Officials have not released information about the length of his sentence.
December 12
Goshu Moges, AKPAC, IMPRISONED
Security officers arrested Goshu, acting manager of AKPAC, which publishes the weekly magazine Tobia and the monthly magazine of the same name, without charge. The arrest was in connection with an article about the November hijacking of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961. Goshu is being held at Ma'ekelawi Central Criminal Investigation Office.
December 12
Wesson Seged Mersha, Kitab, IMPRISONED, LEGAL ACTION
Wesson, publisher of the Amharic weekly Kitab, was sentenced to a six-month prison term and immediately jailed. Officials have not provided any reasons for his incarceration.
December 18
Tilahun Bekele, Ruhama, IMPRISONED
Tilahun, editor in chief of the privately owned Amharic weekly Ruhama, was arrested and detained without charge. Authorities refused to provide reasons for his detention.
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