| |
|
 |
Independent media professionals
deplore Ethiopia's new press law |
 |
| |
 ADDIS
ABEBA(July 4,2008)
- Ethiopian media practitioners forwarded their disappointment on
Wednesday after the House finally endorsed the county's media law
seen by media fractionates and international press watch dogs as contravening
freedom of expression and international human rights.
The Ethiopian law makers on Tuesday hastily approved in to law the
controversial press draft law which has been under review quite for
long, a day before a media forum was to discuss and debate it, in
a final bid to make amendments.
Deputy House Speaker Shitaye Minale readout the finalized press law
after which it was taken for vote, with out giving enough room for
a debate by opposition.
Speaking at a media forum on Wednesday, Amare Aregawi, Editor-In-Chief
of the Reporter Newspaper, an Amharic by weekly and English weekly
newspaper said the forum invited MPs to discuss and debate on the
Draft Mass Media and Freedom of Information Law.
But, alas, the House had already passed the law, and there was no
"Draft Law" to talk about, he told fellow journalists at
a workshop organized by the Horn of Africa Press Institute (HAPI)
with the support of UNESCO and UN Human Rights organization.
Representing HAPI, Amare Aregawi opened the full-day discussion by
stressing that whether or not new media laws are made or changed,
debating upon the existing ones is a valid course of action since
four or more other statutes (excluding the just passed one) that prevail
intermingled in legal documents of the Ministry of Information, the
broadcasting law, as well as in the Customs, Trade and investment
laws, etc. concern and apparently restrict journalists' right to information
and freedom of expression.
Mr. Patrice Vahard, UNOHCHR Representative, briefly highlighted that
"a free, secure, and independent media is one of the foundations
of human rights"; adding that an attack on them is a violation
of the internationally respected human rights provisions.
By drawing on the experiences of different countries in addition to
the provisions of the European Court of Human Rights, Mehari Tadele,
legal expert from the Africa Union spoke on the vulnerability of the
Freedom of Expression to be blocked and abrogated by authorities,
more so in less democratically developed nations.
He elaborated on the short comes of the newly proclaimed Ethiopian
media law such that the impounding of press products for unclearly
defined causes; the prolonged days a journalist has to wait before
receiving information from officials; the enactments which holds responsible
all persons involved in the writing and publication to the sales of
media products, among others, which he said are pressing and unacceptable
within the realm of international values.
He, however, appreciated the repeal of journalists' detention for
alleged breaching of the law.
Abdu Ali, Private Representative, spoke further on the cons that the
Ethiopian media outlets suffer from the press statutes.
He said that the 100,000 birr fine for defamation charges exceeds
exponentially those fines for much harsher offenses like rape and
child labor abuse which extend only upto a 1000 birr.
Moreover, he opposed the needless authorization of the Ministry of
Information for the issuing of media licenses while, since 1989 EC,
that responsibility has been officially granted by parliament to the
Ministry of Trade and Industry.
After dialogues between the panelists and discussants - that consisted
mainly of junior to senior media practitioners, also political, legal,
and economic experts - the workshop was winded by passing five resolutions.
Particularly central of the resolutions, the high fines for defamation
charges were said need revision; and the authority of media licensing
was stressed requires an independent issuing body.
The participants also proposed the induction of self-regulatory bodies
like of press councils that serve to bring forth quality media standards.
In closing, Amare called upon the unification of media organs to extend
peaceful fights for press freedom which he addressed is not only to
journalists' benefit, but rather to the common cause of all the 80
million Ethiopians.
The new media law bans censorship of private media and detention of
journalists, but retains other threats to free expression, according
to some critics.
The parliament, led by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's Ethiopian Peoples
Revolutionary Democratic Front, said on Wednesday the new Mass Media
and Freedom of Information Law was based on international concepts
of press freedom.
"Although censorship is abolished, such a right to impound press
material before distribution is tantamount to censorship," opposition
parliamentarian Temesgen Zewde reportedly said.
Bulcha Demeksa, leader of the opposition Oromo Federalist Democratic
Movement described the new law as "draconian". |
| |
|
