Ethiopia releases prominent Zone 9 blogger

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Ethiopia releases prominent Zone 9 blogger

6:51 CAT | 23 Dec 2016

BBC / Befeqadu Hailu (top left) was previously arrested in April 2014 along with other Zone 9 bloggers

Authorities in Ethiopia have released a prominent Ethiopian blogger and activist – Befeqadu Hailu – more than a month after he was arrested in the capital, Addis Ababa.

He was among thousands of people who were arrested by security agents during the ongoing state of emergency.

More that 10,000 people have been released over the last two days, but nearly the same number remain in custody without charge.

Mr Befeqadu is one of the reknowned group of anti-government critics known as the Zone 9 bloggers.

He was arrested at his house in November and has since been held in various police stations and detention camps.

No reason was given for his arrest but he has constantly condemned the government for its handling of widespread protests in the Oromia and Amhara regions.

Mr Befeqadu was previously arrested in April 2014, together with nine other bloggers and journalists, and was charged under the country’s controversial anti-terrorism laws.

The case was eventually thrown out after 18 months. But Mr Befeqadu and four others still have other pending cases from that time.

Ethiopia has seen an unprecedented wave of protests in two of its largest regions, with demonstrators demanding greater representation and civil liberties.

Frightened

Befeqadu Hailu has told the BBC’s Emmanuel Igunza that he is relieved to be out of jail after a month in detention:

“I am good now, a little bit exhausted and somehow frustrated and also frightened but I think I am doing good, and will return to a normal state soon I hope.”

He said it was “a trying time” in detention especially when he was transferred to a police training centre near the central town of Awash.

“We were far from our parents, the food wasn’t good and we did not know when and if we would ever be released. We were afraid especially because of the uncertainty, and the high temperature in that place that made it very difficult.”

He said that his detention would not affect his activism in the long term:

Maybe I will take some time away from active participation but I will still write, give comments and do whatever I used to, but I will take some time to myself maybe a week or two.”

Source: BBC