A public prosecutor in Ethiopia has instituted a terrorism charge against senior political figures and journalists. According to local newspapers, the charge has listed 24 peoples from the opposition political camp and journalists who are critical of the ruling party, Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). - Among the 24 listed only eight appeared before the court of law to hear the charges while the others are to be tried in absentia. Of the 24 listed peoples, six journalists are charged with terrorism which puts the country the second jailor of journalists in Africa according to the report released by CPJ. The New York based Committee to Protect Journalists, in…

The Ethiopian government arrested two Swedish journalists reporting on the activities of the Eastern separatist group, Ogaden National liberation Front (ONLF). According to the state TV, photojournalist Johan Persson and reporter Martin Schibbye, contributors to the Sweden-based agency Kontinent, were captured with ONLF rebels. - The state TV also accused the two journalists for crossing the country’s border illegally without having the necessary legal accreditation from the government. Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye were wounded in hand and shoulder respectively, according to the state TV. The Ethiopian government formally labelled the Ogaden National Liberation Front as a terro…

Ethiopian security agents have been holding a newspaper columnist incommunicado since last Tuesday. According to CPJ, Reeyot Alemu, a regular contributor to the independent weekly Feteh, was expected to spend the next four weeks in preventive detention under what appears to be Ethiopia's sweeping anti-terrorism law. - In its press release, the committee to protect journalists said, Alemu is the second journalist picked up and held without charge in less than a week and taken into custody at the federal investigation centre at Maekelawi Prison in the capital, Addis Ababa. Deputy Editor Woubshet Taye of the weekly Awramba Times has been held since Sunday. According to CPJ’s sour…

- In a televised parliamentary session which was held 14th of June in the capital of Ethiopia, the Ethiopian Hose of Representative has passed a decision that Ginbot 7, which is an exiled opposition political party formed following the political crackdown during the 2005 disputed national election, is labeled as a terrorist organization. In addition to Ginbot 7, the parliament has also labeled Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and Oromo Liberation Fron(OLF) as terrorist organizations, which are operating with in the domain of the country. Similarly, the Parliament categorizes Al-Shebaeb and Al-Qaeda as a terrorist organization operating out side of the country. According to the newly…