Press TV-Africa Today-Is Press Freedom under Attack in Ethiopia? -(Part1).mp4

Ethiopias counter terrorism and media law has drawn criticism worldwide especially from human rights organizations. The government enacted legislation ahead of this years elections in May. According to the Human Rights Watch, the law could classify political speech and peaceful protest as terrorist acts. The new law considers as acts of terrorism, damage to property and disruption to public services . It strips journalists of the right to protect the identity of their sources. The deputy head of the office for government communication affairs Shimelis Kemal said the new law requires journalists to disclose the sources of their information when reporting on Terrorism. The law will restrict the activities of opposition parties in the run up to the elections and place reporting restrictions on journalists whose work are not in favour of Prime Minister Meles Zenawis party Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front EPRDF. In 2005s elections in which Mr Zenawis ruling EPRDF retained political power, several protestors, political party leaders, journalists and human rights activitists were arrested. There is a fear that this new law could lead to similar instances in the elections this year. Only one other African country, Eritrea, has jailed more journalists than Ethiopia. With this law likely to erode freedom of expression in that country, Africa Today asks; Is press freedom under attack in Ethiopia in the name of security?

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News & Politics

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• Press
• TV
• Africa
• Today
• Is
• Press
• Freedom
• under
• Attack
• in
• Ethiopia
• 03
• 09
• 2010Part1