An Ethiopian court on July 18 charged nine journalists with terrorism and inciting violence under Ethiopia's anti-terrorism law (PDF [5]). The journalists, including six bloggers, were arrested [6] in April and have been prevented from accessing their families or legal counsel since their arrests. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists [7] (CPJ), since the implementation of the anti-terrorism law in 2009, Ethiopian authorities have used it as a tool to limit journalism critical of the government [8]. Human Rights Watch [9] (HRW) has repeatedly called upon the Ethiopian government to repeal the law, alleging that the government stifles the establishment of new media publications [10].
From Jurist [11], July 20. Used with permission.
