three months have been charged with terrorism for having links to an
outlawed group and for planning attacks, a judge said Friday.
The seven members of the blogging collective Zone Nine and three
journalists were arrested in April, prompting an outcry from rights
groups who said the case was an assault on press freedom.
The group is accused of planning attacks in Ethiopia and working in
collusion with the US-based opposition group Ginbot 7, labelled by
Ethiopian authorities as a terrorist organisation.
"They took training in how to make explosives and planned to train
others," Judge Tareke Alemayehu told the court.
The Zone Nine website, proclaiming "we blog because we care!" features
mostly social and political commentary, often critical of the
government.
The judge said their work was a cover for "clandestine" activities and
accused them of plotting "to destabilise the nation".
Nine of the accused -- one is charged in absentia -- smiled and waved to
friends and family as they entered the packed courtroom.
The lawyer for eight of the suspects dismissed the charges.
"We don't believe that there is any credible substance," Amaha
Mekonnen told AFP.
Rights groups have accused Ethiopia of using the anti-terrorism laws
to silence dissent and jail critics.
Several journalists have been jailed under the law, including two
Swedish journalists sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2012. They were
pardoned after serving 15 months.
The dissident blogger Eskinder Nega is currently serving a serving an
18-year sentence for having links with Ginbot 7, which calls for the
violent overthrow of the ruling party.
The trial for the bloggers and journalists is expected to resume on 4 August.
No comments:
Post a Comment