Ethiopia Releases Jailed Journalists, Bloggers

“I am also concerned for the journalists who remain in jail”, he said.

The two online journalists and three other mainstream newsmen had been held on terrorism-related charges since late April 2014.

“They have suffered, their rights have been violated, but now we are happy”, defence lawyer Ameha Mekonnen told AFP after the five journalists and bloggers were released on Wednesday.

“The government should show this is only a first step toward releasing all political prisoners and opening up space for Ethiopians to voice dissent on a range of issues”.

“The release of these five journalists is a welcome turn of events in Ethiopia, where the number of journalists in prison has steadily increased in recent years”, said Tom Rhodes, the east Africa representative of the Committee to Protect Journalists, a U.S.-based group.

Ethiopian authorities have released five bloggers and journalists after they spent more than a year in prison, but four others remain behind bars. A prison official called the names of Zelalem and Asmamaw, stating that all charges against them had been dropped.

Imprisoned journalist Reeyot Alemu will also be released Thursday, about a year ahead of schedule, Alemu Gobebo, her father, said by phone from the capital.

He had come under criticism over visiting a country with a poor human rights record with Washington Post saying that the visit “sends the wrong message on democracy”.

The release comes roughly six weeks after Ethiopia’s ruling party swept a parliamentary election in which the opposition complained of harassment.

The White House announced in June that president Barack Obama will become the first sitting United States leader to visit Ethiopia, as part of a trip to east Africa later this month.

In Ethiopia, Obama is expected to meet Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and address the African Union at its Addis Ababa headquarters.

Four other people, from the blogging collective known as Zone 9, remain in jail.

They “are just accomplices where the remaining are the main actors”, he said by phone.