Ethiopia jails blogger, opposition party members
Ethiopia’s infamous anti –terrorism law saw prominent journalists, high level opposition members take lengthy prison sentences
A court in Addis Ababa jailed blogger Eskindir Nega and opposition party members including Adualem Arage, deputy chairman of the Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ), the only opposition party with a lone representative in the ruling party, EPRDF, dominated national parliament for between 18 years to life.
An unprecedented wave of arrest by Ethiopian police that has begun on June 19 2011 saw Woubshet Taye, deputy editor of a private Amharic weekly newspaper Awramba Times, which is known for its fierce criticism against the government, locked in jail followed on June 21 by the arrest of Reyot Alemu, a columnist in another private weekly newspaper Feteh. Both were soon charged under the much dreaded anti-terrorism proclamation No. 652/2009.
