News: Court grants AP journalists bail after 3 months in detention (corrected)
By Mahlet Fasil @MahletFasil
Addis Abeba – The Federal Court of First Instance ruled the release on bail of Associated Press journalist, Amir Aman, and freelance cameraman Thomas Engida, for 60,000 ETB each.
At today’s hearing, the police asked the court for an additional 14 days to complete their investigation. The defense team however complained that the police keeps asking for more days to remand and investigate their clients in order to prolong their detention.
They asked the court to decline the police’s request for additional days and to release their clients on bail.
After hearing both sides the judges decided to release the detainees on bail explaining that the the police failed to complete it’s investigation on time.
At the last hearing on March 4, the court granted the police more days and ordered the police to present investigation results. The police said that sent electronic devices taken from the journalists to the National Intelligence and Security Agency for investigation.
Amir and Thomas were arrested in December last year, for allegedly promoting the Oromo Liberation Army, (OLA) on an international level. AS
Editor’s note: The headline of this news was corrected to amend a factual error that the journalists were released. We regret the error made during translation works.