An Addis Ababa court sentenced Zemedkun, editor of the weekly independent newspaper Atkurot, to two years in prison for allegedly violating various provisions of the penal code and the repressive Press Proclamation 34/85. In March 1999, authorities filed a new charge against him while he was still serving this sentence. According to local journalists, Zemedkun was accused of disseminating false information in an article in which he discussed alleged weaknesses in the Ethiopian army. The court granted Zemedkun bail of 5,000 birrs (approximately US$650), but he was unable to pay and remained in jail at year’s end.