By Fasil girma

Who are Zone 9 bloggers?

The three journalists

The date of capture

Experience at detention center

Due process

Way Forward

Preformation Following the Arab spring Ethiopian online community

understood the power of social media

Late 2011 and early 2012 were exiting times for Ethiopian online media

Lots of blogs opened

Social media users engaged on matters beyond personal issues like; social justice, rule of law, democracy, freedom of expression etc

Formation Few fellow bloggers and active social media users started

the talk of having organized form of bloggers association on early 2012

Some started campaigning together for social justice

Organized events (the most memorable one is AlemDechsa’s fundraising event)

After some serious discussion since then nine bloggers, activists, writers and advocates formed the group Zone 9

Name Zone 9 got their name from an Ethiopian state prison in

Addis Ababa called Kaliti, which has eight zones

The bloggers, who felt that Ethiopia was becoming a bigger prison (Zone 9), called themselves Zone9ers

Motto "We Blog Because We Care."

Members Soliyana Shimeles – Lawyer, activist Endalkachew Hailemecheal – Journalist by profession lecturer at

Arbaminh University Befeqadu Hailu – a writer, activist, and blogger Mahlet Fantahun – a data expert in Government's Ministry of Health Atnaf Berahane – an IT professional in Addis Ababa city

administration, a digital security expert and a blogger. Natnael Feleke – an employee of the Construction and Business Bank,

an economist by profession and a passionate advocate of human rights Zelalem Kiberet – a lecturer at Ambo University, a lawyer and a blogger Abel Wabela – an engineer at Ethiopian Airlines, an engineer by

profession and blogger Jomanex Kassaye – Engineer by profession, activist

Issues they deal with Freedom of expression and freedom of the press

Rule of law

Democracy

Social justice

Human rights

Good governance

corruption

Infrastructure etc

Campaign They have had three online campaigns until late 2013

#Respectzconstitution (December 2-4, 2012)

#Some1tellAzebMesfen (wife of late PM) (March 27 – 28, 2013)

#Assembly4Everyone and #Demonstration4Everyone (April 8-10, 2013)

Edom Khassay –

a freelancer

an active member of the Ethiopian Environmental Journalists Association (EEJA)

With work experience of Ethiopian Press Agency

Worked as a fellow journalist in Kissumu, Kenya for one year

Tesfalem Waldyes –

a freelancer for Addis Standard

previous experience with Addis Fortune newspaper

worked at many more renowned media outlets

Active social media user

International media experience

passionate journalist

Asmamaw Hailegeorgis –

a journalist at Addis Guday newspaper

editor

Press freedom advocate

2 days after the group announced on social media that they would be resuming their activities

April 25, 26, 2014

Six bloggers

The three journalists

A coordinated operation

Most of them were not aware and ready

Some are taken from café’s others from work place and the rest from their houses

High number of presence of police and secret service

Six of them were taken to their home and the police searched their houses.

Confiscated private laptops and literature

All the nine persons taken to the notorious Meakelawi detention center

Torture

Ill-treatment

Refusal of family members and lawyers visit

Unlawful interrogation

Poor prison facility

Some experience Forced to stay in a very small and very cold room for 74

days with limited sun light

Only 30 minutes access to natural light

Slap, beating, heavy physical exxersise

The two ladies Mahlet and Edom were forced to stand necked in front of the interrogators and do some physical exercise

Both were insulted and humiliated by the interrogators

Tesfalem, Natnael, Zelalem, Edom, Asmamaw and Atnafpresented in court for the first time on 7 May 2014.

Befekadu Hailu, Mahlet Fantahun and Abel Wabela were remanded in custody until 8 May 2014.

police requested more time for their investigation The next hearing for the two group was scheduled to take

place on 17 and 18 May 2014 respectively. Police again requested and were granted an additional 28

days for first group while 14 days of further investigation granted for the second group

The same court which rejected the extended 28 days request of the police two weeks earlier granted the police 28 days and the next hearing was scheduled for 29 June on their fourth court presence

On the fourth presence of the first group on June 14, 2014 the court guaranteed the police additional 28 days for further investigation

On 17 July, prosecutors for Ethiopia's Lideta High Court formally charged seven Zone 9 bloggers with having connections to the outlawed political organizations Ginbot 7

Oromo Liberation Front (OLF),

another rebel organization outlawed by the government in Ethiopia.

further allege that Natinael Feleke received a sum of 48,000 birr from Ginbot 7 for the purpose of inciting violence

The defendants had no legal representation present when the charges were issued

their attorneys and families were not given prior notice about the hearing

July 18, 2014 for the first time families, friends and diplomatic community were allowed to enter the court room.

During their 12th presence, amendment of terror charges requested by court during

There was no o amendment of charges during their 13th presence on December 3, 2014

January 28, 2015 trials: Most of the charges accepted after few amendments

February 18: Bloggers and journalists pleaded not guilty, the hearing of the witnesses started

April 8, the hearing of the witnesses continued and adjured to continue May 26-29, 2015.

This was the 26th adjournment.

There should be organized and coordinated form of campaign for free, fair and transparent trail of the imprisoned bloggers and journalists.

The campaign should include individuals, Key personalities, civic -organizations, International establishments, and governments (if possible)

Key message should be designed Networking among individuals, Key personalities, civic -

organizations, International establishments, and governments is very important.

There should be different ways of campaigns (including the usual Online campaign) conversations, seminars, protests,

An integrated form of approach should be build for the campaign.