Ethiopian blogger acquitted for terrorism charges...bloggers are not safe

An Ethiopian Court has acquitted four Ethiopian bloggers of terrorism charges after being detained for more than a year The four bloggers join an five other bloggers that were cleared and released in July meaning all terror charges against the nine bloggers or coined ‘Zone 9 bloggers’ have been dropped. The Zone 9 website bloggers published articles criticizing government policy, were arrested in April 2014 and accused of plotting to commit terrorist acts and attempting to incite violence. The case against the bloggers had an online campaign in Ethiopia and beyond calling for their release. “They have all been acquitted of their charges related to the anti-terror law on a no-case motion,” their lawyer Ameha Mekonnen told Reuters. Three of the bloggers will be freed this Friday. Befeqadu Hailu, one of the four acquitted of terrorism charges, still faces charges of inciting violence according to an Ethiopian human rights activist, Mesfin Negash who told the BBC. Ethiopians have an anti-terrorism law, passed in 2009, which stipulates that anyone publishing information that could incite readers to commit acts of terrorism can be jailed for up to 20 years SHARE THIS POST