The Swedish branch of Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF, a.k.a. Reporters without Borders) gave its “Press Freedom Award 2013” jointly for an Ethiopian journalist and two members of Swedish media, according to the press release published yesterday.

The three co-winners of the award of the Swedish branch of RSF are Mesfin Negash, Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson.

Mesfin Negash was managing editor of the now-defunct Amharic weekly Addis Neger which was in print in Ethiopia between 2007-2009. The paper attracted respectable size of readership until the editors left the country claiming that the government intends to prosecute them on charges of terrorism. Mesfin Negash, along his colleagues, launched a website from abroad after their self-exile.

However, in mid-2011, when the government charged several opposition activists of plotting an Egyptian-style revolt in collaboration with organizations designated terrorists under Ethiopian laws, Mesfin Negash made it to the list. He was convicted and sentenced to eight years imprisonment in absentia.

Mesfin Negash shares the award with the Swedish journalist Martin Schibbye and photographer Johan Persson.

The two Swedish were captured on July 2011 in eastern Ethiopia, by Somali region police force, after they entered Ethiopian territory accompanying the terrorist group, ONLF. An Ethiopian court dismissed the government’s charge that they participated in terrorism, but found them guilty of illegally entering the country and supporting terrorism. They were sentenced to eleven years imprisonment.

Western based rights groups, media organizations as well as the Swedish Prime Minister demanded their ‘immediate and unconditional release’ in a blatant disregard of the fact that the two Swedes pleaded guilty of entering the country illegally which by itself is punishable with up-to three years imprisonment.

The two Swedes, however, chose to count on Ethiopia’s “tradition of grace and forgiveness”, thus petitioned for pardon, as reported by a Swedish media at the time.

The President of the Republic granted them pardon, as per their petition, alongside about two thousand prisoners, on the Ethiopian new year, September 11/2012, as per the annual tradition.

You may read below the press release from Reporters Sans Frontieres (which was translated via Google translation and further edited to make it comprehensible)

***********
SWEDEN / ETHIOPIA
Ethiopia in the corner on Press Freedom Day
Published: 2013-05-03 01:05
Updated: 2013-05-03 09:05

Mesfin Negash, exiled journalist from Ethiopia, awarded with Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson Reporters Without Borders press freedom award 2013. They get the award because they dared to challenge the limits of press freedom in a country where free journalism branded as terrorism.

On May 3, the United Nations World Day for Press Freedom, parts of speech organization Reporters Without Borders, its annual press freedom award in honor of people who are fighting for free speech around the world. The award is focusing this year on Ethiopia, a country that systematically silences anti-regime voices.

Independent journalism is equated with terrorism

The journalist Mesfin Negash is living in exile in Sweden since his newspaper, Addis Neger, was shut down by the Ethiopian authorities in 2010. Negash was accused, along with his colleagues, for terrorism and risked a long prison sentence. The flight went via Uganda to Sweden, where he received asylum in February 2012. In Sweden, he continues his work as a journalist and he writes for Ethiopian and several foreign newspapers and participates regularly in the Daily News.

– “First and foremost, I see Press Freedom award in recognition of my Ethiopian journalist colleagues who either imprisoned or working in difficult conditions. Personally, also awarded an encouragement to continue my work in exile”, said Mesfin Negash.

After 14 months in prison, the work on

Mesfin Negash shares the award with the two Swedish journalists Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson were detained in Ethiopia for 14 months after they broke into the country to report on the oil extraction in the disputed Ogaden test the ice. That they would be released was not self-evident:

– “We are honored, above all, it feels great to be physically able to receive the prize. We could stop counting after 438 days, a number of our colleagues in Ethiopia still counting. Colleague Reejot Alemu has today been jailed for 685 days for having done its job”, says Martin Schibbye.

– “The threats to freedom of the press must be met with more journalism. We need to continue to monitor what is happening in the country remains the world leader when it comes to captivate free speech and to push journalists to flee”, says Johan Persson.

Celebrating press freedom

– “Reporters Without Borders would like to this day strongly indicate that free journalism and freedom of expression is not something a government can take away from its citizens. Mesfin, Martin and Johan have shown enormous courage and uncompromising as the long term serve a larger goal, says Jonathan Lundqvist”, president of Reporters Without Borders.

*************