Toronto — The Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN welcomes the release from prison of Garoma Bekele and Tesfaye Deressa but is dismayed at the continued detention of Solomon Nemera, and the arrests of fellow journalists Daniel Gezzahegne, Kidus Habt Belachew and Eyobe Demeke.

On 10 May 2001, charges of terrorism against Garoma Bekele, Tesfaye Deressa and Solomon Nemera were dropped for lack of evidence. The three, who all worked for the now defunct magazine Urjii, had previously been handed down prison sentences on charges relating to the press law. Reporters Bekele and Deressa were released the same day but Nemera was told that he would have to raise 10,000 Birr (approx. US$1,210) bail because as editor-in-chief of Urjii, he had greater responsibility for the alleged press law violation. Unable to raise the money, he remains in detention. He is reported to be facing a further, as yet unknown, charge.

Bekele, Deressa and Nemera were all arrested in October 1997 following coverage in Urjii of the involvement of government troops in the killing of three alleged members of the Oromo Liberation Front. The journalists were imprisoned for more than two years while waiting for their case to come to trial. When it did, they were all given one-year prison sentences for "publishing false information". They would normally have been released immediately on account of the time they had already spent in prison but they remained in custody due to the charges of terrorism brought against them.

Meanwhile, on 4 May 2001, Daniel Gezzahegne was detained when he was unable to raise the 5000 Birr (US$605) bail set by the court trying his case. The deputy editor of the Amharic weekly Moged faces criminal defamation charges based on an article published in the newspaper Gemenna. The piece cited alleged corrupt practices amongst the religious authorities in Gonder province.

Gezzahegne was editor of Gemenna at the time of publication. His trial is due to begin in October this year.

Kidus Habt Belachew, editor-in-chief of the newspaper Mebrek, was obliged to make a statement to the Central Investigation Department (CID) on 10 May 2001 concerning his newspaper's coverage of demands made by students in Addis Ababa. Belachew was released on payment of a 10,000 Birr bail.

Eyobe Demeke, managing editor of the weekly Tarik, is also reported to have been detained in early May 2001 on charges connected with an article he published in 1996. He was charged at the time of the publication but freed on bail up until his recent arrest.

Whilst relieved that Garoma Bekele and Tesfaye Deressa have at last been released, International PEN is gravely concerned at the latest wave of detentions of journalists in Ethiopia. It calls on the Ethiopian authorities to end the practice of using press laws as a tool to curb free speech, and urges the Ethiopian government to take steps to decriminalise defamation, making it a matter for the civil courts. International PEN appeals for the release of all journalists held in Ethiopian prisons.

Please send appeals: - Welcoming the release of Garoma Bekele and Tesfaye Deressa; - Calling for the dropping of the bail imposed on Solomon Nemera and that he be released immediately. - Urging the Ethiopian authorities to release all journalists currently held on charges relating to published articles - Appealing for changes to be made to Ethiopian law to ensure that defamation and libel cease to be criminal offences carrying custodial sentences.

Appeals to:

His Excellency Ato Meles Zenawi Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Office of the Prime Minister P.O. Box 1031 Addis Ababa Ethiopia Fax: +251 1 552 020

His Excellency Ato Woredewold Wolde, Minister of Justice Ministry of Justice, PO Box 1370, Addis Ababa Ethiopia. Fax: +251 1 55 07 22 or +251 1 550278.

Please copy appeals to the Ethiopian representative in your country where possible and the Ethiopian Free Press Journalists Association (EFJA): Kifle Mulat, President, EFJA, P.O. Box 31317 / 33232, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Fax: +251 1 55 50 21

For further details contact Dixe Wills at the Writers in Prison Committee London Office: 9-10 Charterhouse Buildings, London EC1M 7AT UK Tel: + 44 (0) 20 72 53 32 26 Fax: + 44 (0) 20 72 53 57 11 email: dixe@wipcpen.org

Dixe Wills Africa and Americas Researcher Writers in Prison Committee International PEN