An Ethiopian court granted police another ten days remand of recently detained bloggers and journalists. 
The there bloggers and three journalists who were brought to the Federal First Instance Court, Arada First Bench, were detained, with three other bloggers, on April 25 and 26. The bloggers belong to a blog collective called “ZoneNine”, while the journalists appear to have been close to the group.
All the detainees had their first court appearance on April 29, when the police presented them in three files seeking remand for further investigation. The court granted ten days for two files, which consist there bloggers and three journos, and eleven days for the rest there bloggers.
The police requested today further remand for further investigation on the six detainees claiming that; it needs time to detain additional suspects, to confiscate materials that were purchased with foreign finance, to obtain expert assistance for investigation and to prepare witnesses.
The court remanded the detainees to police custody, despite the objection of the defense counsel. However, the police was rebuked for denying visitation by family and lawyers.
As these kinds of procedural hearings are not open to the public, there are conflicting reports as to how the police described its case.
It is to be recalled that immediately after their first court appearance, friends of the detainee claimed that the police described its investigation in vague phrases – that can be translated as – “plotting to destabilize the country through social media by coordinating with a foreign self-proclaimed human rights activist element – joining their ideas and moneys”.
However, today the defense counsel, Amha Meokonnen, told Addis Standard that : “They accused some of the detainees of traveling to Kenya and other countries in Africa” to take trainings intended to disrupt the upcoming general elections in Ethiopia.”
On the other hand, friends of the detainees reported that the police claimed the detainees are suspected of “taking part in a secret grouping and a plot to destabilize the nation by communicating with, and receiving funds from, an organization proscribed as a terrorist”.
The detainees who appeared in court today were Asmamaw Gebregiorgis, senior editor of the Amharic weekly Addis Guday, journalists Tesfalem Weldeyest and Edom Kasaye, and bloggers Atnaf Berahane, Natnael Feleke and Zelalem Kiberet.
The other three detainees – bloggers Befeqadu Hailu, Mahlet Fantahun and Abel Wabela – are expected in court tomorrow.
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