PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
AI launches appeal for release of jailed Ethiopian journalist
Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Amnesty International (AI) is launching a global appeal this week for the release of "Ethiopian prisoner of conscience" Eskinder Nega, as part of a major campaign, entitled “Write for Rights”.
Ethiopian journalist Eskinder Nega is serving an 18-year prison sentence for “terrorism”, the global human rights watchdog said in a press statement Monday evening.
He was charged in 2011 after giving speeches and writing articles criticizing the Ethiopian government and supporting free speech. He is a prisoner of conscience and Amnesty International (AI) is calling for his immediate release.
Eskinder has long been a thorn in the flesh of the Ethiopian authorities. He has previously been harassed, arrested and prosecuted a number of times for his writing. Between 2006 and 2007, he was jailed, together with his wife Serkalem Fasil, who gave birth to their son in prison.
"Write for Rights" is one of AI's major events. It mobilizes hundreds of thousands of people around the world with the aim of changing lives of individuals at risk through a mass letter writing campaign.
From 6 to 17 December, people from more than 80 countries all over the world will campaign on behalf of individuals and communities suffering human rights abuses.
AI expects more than two million letters, emails, tweets and text messages to be sent during the course of the campaign.
-0- PANA DJ/VAO 2Dec2013
Ethiopian journalist Eskinder Nega is serving an 18-year prison sentence for “terrorism”, the global human rights watchdog said in a press statement Monday evening.
He was charged in 2011 after giving speeches and writing articles criticizing the Ethiopian government and supporting free speech. He is a prisoner of conscience and Amnesty International (AI) is calling for his immediate release.
Eskinder has long been a thorn in the flesh of the Ethiopian authorities. He has previously been harassed, arrested and prosecuted a number of times for his writing. Between 2006 and 2007, he was jailed, together with his wife Serkalem Fasil, who gave birth to their son in prison.
"Write for Rights" is one of AI's major events. It mobilizes hundreds of thousands of people around the world with the aim of changing lives of individuals at risk through a mass letter writing campaign.
From 6 to 17 December, people from more than 80 countries all over the world will campaign on behalf of individuals and communities suffering human rights abuses.
AI expects more than two million letters, emails, tweets and text messages to be sent during the course of the campaign.
-0- PANA DJ/VAO 2Dec2013
