11/03/09 (B489) Communiqué du SOCEPP / Ethiopie : Le reporter (Radio) Dawit Alemu a été emprisonné illégalement. //RADIO REPORTER DAWIT ALEMU ILLEGALLY JAILED (En Anglais)

March 11/2009

Ethiopian radio reporter Dawit Alemu has been jailed on charges of writing a non specified book critical of the existing EPRDF regime. Dawit, who had written one book some years back, has denied he has written the alleged book.

The EPRDF claims censorship does not exist but books that are not seen favourably by it are denied circulation and sale by security personnel covertly threatening book sellers and publishers.

The poems and CDs of opposition poet Ali Hussein are denied circulation for example and other authors who belong to the opposition parties that the EPRDF considers as its enemies have been denied publication and circulation inside Ethiopia.

Many banned books and CDs are being circulated clandestinely in Addis Ababa and other places. The brother of Dawit has revealed that security men searched the house of the radio reporter. They are said to have confiscated documents and other items.

The court has postponed hearing of Dawit’s case to March 13.
________________________________________

INJUSTICE ANYWHERE IS INJUSTICE EVERYWHERE
SOCEPP, POSTFACH 51213, BERLIN 13372,GERMANY
SOCEPP, 30 RIGA COVE, WINNIPEG,MB R2P 2Z7,CANADA
E MAIL: SOCEPP @AOL.COM
WEB SITE: WWW.SOCEPP.DE