An Ethiopian court last week dropped charges of participating in terrorist activities against Swedish journalists Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye of Kontinent news agency, but did not drop charges of supporting a terrorist group and illegallly entering Ethiopia, the press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said. One Swedish journalist, now retired, in Cairo, told Bikyamasr.com that this is “the problem with embedding in Somalia and elswhere when it comes to these types of groups because there are obviously difficulties in freedom and the governments do not want to be seen as relaxed on their policies.” The two reporters will face the court again on December 6 and remain detained. “We hope that the court will also drop the charge of supporting a terrorist group,” Reporters Without Borders said. “Persson and Schibbye are recognized journalists and have nothing in common with terrorists. All they did was enter the Ogaden without proper documents because that region is closed to the media. Their goal was just to report on what is going on there.” RSF said that Persson, a reporter, and Schibbye, a photographer, were arrested on July 1 after entering Ethiopia from Somalia with members of the separatist Ogaden National Liberation Front, which the Ethiopian government regards as a terrorist organization. When the trial opened last month, they reportedly admitted entering the country illegally but pleaded not guilty to the other two charges. RSF lashed out at the Ethiopian government, saying the charges of abetting a terrorist organization are “unfounded” and called on the government in Addis Ababba to release the two and end the trial. “Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's claim in a recent interview for the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten that they were acting as the ‘messengers of a terrorist organization' does not bode well,” Reporters Without Borders said. “Has the outcome of the trial already been decided by the government? Asks the press freedom organization. RSF would like to urge the Ethiopian government to reconsider its expansive application of the anti-terrorism law to try local and foreign journalists. We also urge the Swedish authorities to give this case the importance it deserves and the European Union should also take an interest and use its relationship with Ethiopia to help find an acceptable outcome.” BM
