2012: Etiopia: Eskinder Nega
Norway, 16. November 2012
Minister of Justice
Berhanu Hailu
Ministry of Justice
P.O.Box 1370
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr Seyoum Mesfin
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
P.O.Box 393
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Dear Ministers,
As a member of Norwegian PEN, I protest the conviction on terrorism-related charges of journalist and blogger Eskinder Nega, and his outrageously heavy sentence of 18 years in jail in July 2012.
Norwegian PEN is deeply concerned that Nega has been tried, convicted and sentenced purely in relation to his peaceful journalistic activity, in violation of the right to freedom of expression protected under international human rights treaties to which Ethiopia is a party, including the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.
We seek your assurance, Your Excellencies, to call for his immediate release.
Confident that you, Your Excellencies, will take action accordingly, I remain
Yours sincerely,
Trine Kleven
Chair, Writers in Prison Committee, Norwegian PEN
Wergelandsveien 29, 0167 Oslo, Norway. www.norskpen.no
