The case with Zone 9 bloggers

By Michael Aboye

The unlawful incarceration of zone9 bloggers is the latest in a long line of attempts to muffle freedom of expression in Ethiopia. Having tried to impede Zone9ers from exercising their freedom of expression by harassing them using various methods, the Ethiopian government, which is in power for the last 23 years, has detained the young and bright bloggers since April, 25 2014.

The collective bloggers has blogged about numerous political issues affecting the Ethiopian populace, hoping to bolster civic discourse in service of social change. Since its inception, Zone Nine has amassed a passionate readership within the country. According to its own bloggers, Zone Nine’s stories have occasionally been picked up by wider-known publications within the country, signaling wider support for the messages it has broadcasted. Outside of Ethiopia, the detention of the Zone Nine bloggers has ignited public furor. Global Voices launched a #FreeZone9Bloggers hashtagging campaign and organized a FreeZone9Bloggers Tweetathon on May 14.

Right away after their detention the Minister of Communication Affairs of the Ethiopian government  accused the bloggers of producing ‘facts’ and blackmailing the government. Hence; the Ethiopian government is trying make up a lawsuit based on a complete fabrications and unfounded allegations. Working with foreign NGO which claims itself as human right organization was one of the initial ‘offenses’ the bloggers were accused of at the beginning of the saga. The second wave of accusations which claimed that the bloggers have attempted to cause instability using social media followed. Finally the government accused the bloggers of working with domestic ‘terrorist’ organizations. The government put one unfounded allegation after the other. Simply put, this case highlights government’s efforts to mask the deeply inconsistent and political Ethiopian justices system which the bloggers have attempted to report on before their detention.

While the government engaged in finger-pointing and wild allegations they fail to produce a sensible legal argument even based on their own ‘unconstitutional’ statutes which were decreed for the sake of gagging citizens and instilling fear among people.

Since the imprisonment of zone9 bloggers the judges presided to observe the case have permitted the police to breach the fundamental, Constitutional right of the bloggers by allowing the police an extensive period of time for investigation.

Some of the bloggers told the court recently that they had been beaten by the police. They told the judge that they were beaten by the police investigators under their feet and slapped and punched on their faces.

The arrests prompted an outcry from rights groups, with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) calling them “one of the worst crackdowns against free expression” in the country, while Amnesty International said it was part of a “long trend of arrests and harassment of human rights defenders.”

Ethiopia has one of the most closed press environments in the world,  CPJ says, with at least 49 journalists forced into exile — a figure only beaten by Iran and Somalia.

Ethiopia has also been accused of cracking down on independent media and doling out heavy sentences for journalists under controversial anti-terror legislation.

US Secretary of State John Kerry urged Ethiopia to allow greater freedoms for civil society and journalists, during his visit in April, expressing concern for the group.

UN human rights chief Navi Pillay has condemned the arrests, warning the country is increasingly muzzling freedom of expression under the guise of fighting terrorism.

65 days have passed since their detention. The bloggers have appeared in court continually over the past few months while being detained in Addis Ababa’s Maekelawi detention center. No formal charges have been leveled against them as of yet. That said, activists fear that these bloggers and journalists will suffer the same fate that befell Eskinder Nega and Reeyot Alemu, two journalists imprisoned and charged with terrorism (a crime that carries heavy fines and a lengthy prison term) in 2011.

Journalism is not a crime and it not Terrorism indeed.

Justice delayed is justice denied!

Free all journalists and bloggers!