Jailed Ethiopian Journalist awarded the Golden Pen of Freedom - the star

                                           

Handing over of Golden Pen Of Freedom to Martin Schibbye on behalf of Ethiopian journalist Eskinder Nega. Photo/Courtesy/WAN-IFRA

Jailed Ethiopian journalist Eskinder Nega has been awarded the Golden Pen For Freedom.

The honour was awarded on Nega in a ceremony at the 66th World Newspaper Congress under way in Torino,Italy this week, where more than 1,000 media Industry representatives have gathered.

Nega is serving an 18-year jail term in Addis Ababa’s Kaliti prison on terrorism related charges. Arrested in 2011, he was sentenced on 23 January 2012 and may be imprison until 2030.

“Eskinder Nega has become an emblem of Ethiopia’s recent struggle for democracy,” World Editors Forum President Eric Bjerager said while delivering the Golden pen during the opening ceremony of the World Newspaper Congress and the World Editors Forum in Torino

“No stranger to prison, he is also an unforgettable warning to every working Ethiopian journalist and editor that the quest to create a just, free society comes with a heavy price,” Bjerager says.

Nega’s former prison mate, Swedish journalist Martin Schibbye accepted the award on the jailed journalist’s behalf, at the invitation of Nega's family.“This Golden Pen is more important than food, medicine and water. It materializes the support and shows that he is not forgotten. That he is one of us. That an attack on one journalist is an attack on us all and that jailing a journalist is a crime against humanity,”  Schibbye said while accepting the award.

He concluded the acceptance speech by reading from a letter penned by Nega to his Nega to his eight-year-old son. It was smuggled out of Kaliti prison: “The pain is almost physical. But in this plight of our family is embedded hope of a long suffering people. There is no greater honour. We must bear any pain, travel any distance, climb any mountain, cross any ocean to complete this journey to freedom. Anything less is impoverishment of our soul. God bless you, my son. You will always be in my prayers.”

WEF President Erik Bjerager told the ceremony that the world needs to watch the creeping threat of anti-terrorism legislation being used to target journalists.“Ethiopia continues to resort to anti-terrorism legislation to silence opposition and shackle the press. Alarmingly, beyond Ethiopia, countless states around the world are misusing anti-terrorism legislation to muzzle journalists, bloggers and freedom of expression advocates," Bjerager said. "Research suggests that over half of the more than 200 journalists in jail last year were being held on 'anti-state' charges. Let me be clear: Journalism is not terrorism. Politicians should not abuse the notion of national security to protect the government, powerful interests or particular ideologies, or to prevent the exposure of wrongdoing or incompetence.”

The Golden Pen of Freedom is an annual award made by WAN-IFRA to recognise the outstanding action, in writing or deed, of an individual, a group or an institution in the cause of press freedom.