Journalist Eskinder Nega warned by EPRDF Police officials

One of the free press journalists who is known with a critical articles and blogs of the EPRDF government and current situation of Ethiopian politics in online medias has given a warning on his recent articles by the Deputy Commissioner of Federal police.

Eskinder wrote in detail on Abugidainfo.com how he was taken from the internet café in Piassa by armed forces to the office of the Federal police. In his article told the Deputy Commissioner and his aide warned him on his recent articles that they said it is intended to start an uprising similar to Egypt and Tunisia against the EPRDF government.

Serkalem Fasil, baby son Nafkot, born June 2006, while she was in prison and husband Eskinder Nega who was detained separately holding a copy of their newspaper Menelik, which was shut down when they were arrested - (photo Amnesty International )

Eskinder wrote:

“The Deputy Commissioner said I was summoned by the government to be given a warning “for attempts to incite an Egyptian and Tunisian like protests in Ethiopia.” Visibly angered, he held copies of articles that had appeared on the internet. (On top, General Tsadkan’s picture from last week’s article was visible.) “You write about General Tsadkan to undermine the army,” he said. “But be assured that EPRDF is capable of defending the constitution. If anything happens, we will first come to you,” he said. “Your writings on the internet and the interviews you give are inflammatory,” he told me.

I asked him if the government is asking me to stop writing.

“No,” he said. “But be warned that you have already crossed the boundary. We have enough to convict you already. I want you to understand that this is a serious warning,” he concluded.

Upon leaving his office, all papers I had on me were confiscated.”

Eskinder Nega was a publisher of the Amharic Newspapers Satenaw with his wife Serkalem Fasil a pulisher of Menelik and a free press journalist as well. Both Serkalem and Eskinder charged and Jailed for “treason, outrages against the Constitution and incitement to armed conspiracy” following the 2005 controversial election.

Amnesty International recognized them as prisoner of conscience for their struggle to bring freedom of speech and express.

Eskendir’s blogs on the current Ethiopian political situation appears regularly on Abugidainfo.com