28 March 2008 – After a long two years and five months in prison, the two Ethiopian anti-poverty campaigners Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie were released from prison this afternoon.

“We are thrilled that Daniel and Netsanet have finally been released from prison. It has been a long wait for them and their families, but finally freedom and justice is theirs. The release is a testament to Daniel and Netsanet’s contributions to human rights and poverty eradication in Ethiopia, Africa and around the world, and is a vindication of civil society efforts to confront injustice.” said Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General of CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation and Co-Chair of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP), speaking from outside Kaliti Prison in Addis Ababa upon their release.

Daniel and Netsanet, both coordinators of GCAP in Ethiopia, were today released following recent negotiations. While they were acquitted on treason related charges in December 2007, they were found guilty on the lesser charge of “provocation and preparing incitement” and sentenced to two and a half years in prison. If they had served the full sentence, they would have been released in early May 2008.

• Activists freed from prison in Ethiopia - Reuters
• Ethiopia frees activists - News24
• Ethiopian anti-poverty campaigners released - Alertnet
• Activists should be compensated for time wasted behind bars - Ethiomedia
  

 

The press freedom organisation Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) has announced an updated list of ‘Internet Enemies’ with the addition of two countries - Ethiopia and Zimbabwe.

 

There are 15 countries in this year’s Reporters Without Borders list of “Internet Enemies” - Belarus, Burma, China, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zimbabwe. There were only 13 in 2007. The two new additions to the traditional censors are both to be found in sub-Saharan Africa: Zimbabwe and Ethiopia.

In an interview given to CyberEthiopia, Professor Kifle Sellassie Beseat, President of ACMEF (Asssociation Culturelle pour le Millenium Ethiopien en France) elaborates on the objectives of the Ethiopian Millenium's celebration held at UNESCO in Paris (France) from the 17 to 21 Decembre 2007.

"The Ethiopian diversity reflects the world's diversity" says the professor and explains the Ethiopian cultural diversity, the origins of the Ethiopian calendar and alphabet.

Unity (and not uniformity) based on the respect of each one's personality and identity is the essence of the Ethiopian cultural diversity. You may listen to the interview and send us your comments.