[ad_1]
By Mahlet Fasil @MahletFasil
Addis Ababa, December 05, 2020 – November 23, 2020 was the second court appearance for the four journalists, including Medhanie Ekubamichael, Product Editor at Addis Standard, and three journalists from the Ethiopian press agency (EPA): Haphtom Gebre Egizabeher and Tsegaye Hagos, editors of the Ethiopian state newspaper herald published by the EPA, and the reporter for Abraha Hagos in AL-Alem, the agency’s Arabic version. Ethiopian press (EPA).
The four journalists are ethnic Tigraya and were detained in the wake of the ongoing military conflict in the Tigray region that began on 4 November.
Initially, the police were given an additional eight days to investigate them and six other people whose case was presented in the same file but who do not know each other. On December 1, 2020, the judges of the Federal Court of First Instance granted bail of 10,000 ETB each for the four journalists who were detained for more than three weeks because the police did not present evidence or press charges. When the detainees’ family posted bail and asked the federal police to release them, they were all told that the police had appealed against the decision. The next day a new hearing began, this time in the Superior Court of Lideta.
At the hearing on Thursday, December 2, the police asked the court to revoke the bail that was granted to the detainees, explaining that they needed another 14 days to investigate and locate possible collaborators. Attorney Wubshet Kassew, who represents Medihane, argued that the federal court of first instance ruled that the journalists were allowed to be released for the simple reason that the police had not completed their investigations in court within the allotted time. Wubshet also said that his client should not suffer while the police await the results of the investigation from government security institutions, which is why the police had previously asked for additional days.
“The federal court of first instance granted bail and ordered the release of these journalists because their residential address was known. Their cases can be followed up without having them detained, ”Wubshet said. According to him, the police charged Medihane with two criminal counts of “attempts to dismantle the constitution and constitutional order through violence and outrage against the constitution.”
However, after hearing from both sides, the judges gave the police 13 more days and postponed the next hearing until December 14.
Medhanie Ekubamichael, tested positive for the coronavirus. Another detainee whose case was presented in the same file did not attend yesterday’s court hearing because he was in isolation due to symptoms of the virus. The police did not present the association of the ten detainees who were detained at different times, and never knew each other before, but they were put in a single file.
RSF has condemned such a violation of rights and a parody of justice in Ethiopia. Arnaud Froger, head of RSF’s Africa office, said the leadership prevents journalists from working, detains some journalists and exposes them to the Covid-19 epidemic. RSF has called for the release of all journalists detained in Ethiopia. AS
[ad_2]
