by Jenny Vaughan (AFP)
ADDIS ABABA — Twenty-four Ethiopians, including a leading opposition figure and a prominent journalist, faced life 
in prison Wednesday after a court found them guilty on charges of terrorism.
“Guilty as charged,” judge Endeshaw Adane said, referring to journalist Eskinder Nega, opposition member Andualem Arage and 22 others accused of links to US-based group Ginbot 7, considered a terrorist group under Ethiopian law, and other outlawed groups.
Under the anti-terrorism legislation, the defendants face the death sentence, but the prosecutor recommended life sentences for the 24, only eight of whom were present in court.
Both Eskinder and Andualem were found guilty of “participation in a terrorist organisation” and “planning, preparation, conspiracy, incitement and attempt of (a) terrorist act.”
Andualem was also found guilty of serving as a “leader or decision maker of a terrorist organisation.” Another less prominent opposition member was also among the group convicted Wednesday.
Endeshaw said Eskinder abused his freedom of speech and accused him of threatening national security.
“Freedom of speech can be limited when it used to undermine security and not used for the public interest,” he said.
Both Eskinder and Andualem are accused of using examples of Arab Spring uprisings in the media to promote anti-government protest in Ethiopia.
“There is no way other than democratic elections to attain power in the country, and what they said is clearly against the constitution,” Endeshaw said.
“By using the freedom of speech recognized in the constitution these criminals have been trying to destabilize the country… that is why the court should give a grave sentence,” the prosecutor said.
Five of the defendants, including Eskinder and Andualem, will reappear in court on July 13 to present their mitigating circumstances.
Rights group Amnesty International condemned the verdict, and said the men were found guilty on “trumped up” charges.
“This is a dark day for justice in Ethiopia, where freedom of expression is being systematically destroyed by a government targeting any dissenting voice,” Amnesty’s Africa researcher Claire Beston, said in a statement.
Amnesty said the convicted were prisoners of conscience and said “the verdict seemed to be a foregone conclusion.” The group called for the immediate release of the prisoners.
Andualem, who appeared in court in a suit and tie, tried to present his own mitigating circumstances to the judges.
“I have struggled for peaceful democracy, and I have never disrespected any individual and I didn’t commit a crime. My conscience is clear,” he said.
The judge promptly silenced him and said he was not following the court’s procedure.
Eskinder insisted he deserved to speak since he is facing a serious sentence.
“You have to stand for justice, you have to allow us to say what we want… you have no right to limit our freedom of speech,” he said to the judges.
The courtroom was filled with family members, journalists and diplomats, including US Ambassador Donald Booth.
Selamawit Solomon
June 28, 2012 at 12:57 pm
I’m Amazed why we are off truck and expect justice from the unjust dictatorial and one man(Dictator Zenawi)’s rule in Ethiopia. In Current Ethiopia : The Prosecutor ,The judge ,The Witness is all in one mans hand.
MELES ZENAWI MUST GO TO THE HAGUE,TO THE NETHERLANDS TO FACE THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT -FOR HIS HEINOUS 2 DECADES OF RAMPAGE AGAINST HUMANITY HE ,HIS CIRCLES AND CADRES COMMITTED WELL DOCUMENTED HEINOUS CRIME AGAINST ETHIOPIA AND ETHIOPIANS.
SINCE 1991 -ETHIOPIA AND ETHIOPIANS ARE SOLE PROPERTY OF TPLF(TIGREAN PEOPLE LIBRATION FRONT ) AND ITS ETHNIC BRUTAL JUNTA
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Tulu
June 28, 2012 at 1:31 am
I feel sorry for the suffering of his family. His immediate family have suffered more than their fair share by this cruel regime.
All this repression is happenning in the twenty first century where the majority of human being is governed by democratic principle. In backward Ethiopia the governemnt who is terrorizing the people is jailing innocent people who are refusing not to live under repression regime.
Eskender was a voice of the voiceless. A life inprisonment sentence is not going to delay the invetable departure of woyane and the rise of ethiopian people.Patience of the Ethiopian people has been taken by TPLF regime as a weaknes.Meles is praying challenges to his phoney strength and it is not going to be too long to see him bend for the mighty will of Ethiopian people.
To those political parties who refuse to work together to shorten the suffering of Ethiopians, we all say shame on you. Woyene is doing all of this heinous crime against our people is because of your weakness. How come your power ambition supersede the suffering of the people?
Aboy
June 27, 2012 at 8:54 pm
Woyane is imploding within, the blood of millions driving it crazy. if I am woyane I will jump-ship before it sinks
thieves and killers always loss
T.Goshu
June 27, 2012 at 7:39 pm
As all genuinely concerned Ethiopians as well as those who have been colsely following the behavoir and practices of TPLF and the deadly parasitic allies ( members of the core ruling circle and other ethnic-based groupings) for the last quarter of a century in general and the horrible political crime committed by the brutal security forces of the Meles regime during and after the 2005 election, today’s decision on those political prisoners is nither unexpected nor a sruprise.The very political nature and practice on the ground (forget the laws and regulations including the constitution which are merely on paper ) clearly and deeply show that all the three branches of government are under not only one ruling circle but sadly enough under an absolute authority of one man /mastermind, Ato Meles Zenawi. There was no and there is no any politically motivated ‘court case” that Ato Meles did not put his verdict right infront of his rubber stamp and nationally disgaceful parliament as well as on the occassions of his politically orchestreted press conferences .It goes with out saying that the very duties of the so-called prosecutors are merely to collect and compile junk of materials and stupidly trained witnesses which are relevant to the dirty intention of Ato Meles; and the very responsibilities of the “judges”are simply organize and write those junk of materials and words of very idiot witnesses and subsequently read out the premeditated and planned political verdict of their master( Meles Zenawi) . Simply put, those indiviuals( prosecutors and judges) are assigned to do the very dirty job of the ruling circle,not the other way round at all! That is why it is abslotely safe to say that there has never been and will never be a real sense rule of law and justice as long as the people stay under this kind of extremely ugly political drama.
Imagine how the tyrannical ruling circle and its parasitic cadres are becoming the worst disgracful of the country when they are trying to blackmail the editor-in-chief of Feteh News Paper, Desalegn Temesgen by posting a very rediculous and trash email which is fabricated and designed to take him to those speaking tools of Meles (“prosecutors and judges”) ,and to play the same drama on him.
Anyway, all this very terrible political dramas will never come to and by themselves. Things which we aspire will never happen by themselves unless we do a well-coordinated and well- determined movement and make them happen! I do not think we can afford to count another few years leave alone another quarter of a century uner this political misery. Let’s talk much more about how we can shorten the sufferings of the innocent people of Ethiopia ,not about the dgree of the plight the people are experiencing day in and day out.
May God help the innocent people of Ethiopia in their efforts searching for genuine leadreship!!