Ethiopia: Authorities Reject Pardon for Woubshet Taye

Awramba Times (Addis Ababa) – The new administration of Hailemariam Desalegn has flatly rejected a request for a presidential pardon for award-winning Ethiopian journalist, Woubshet Taye, his wife confirmed to Awramba Times.

According to Birhan Tesfaye, wife of Woubshet Taye, the journalist has received a ‘rejection letter’ from the ministry of Justice last Monday along with opposition leader Zerihun Gebregziabher and Hirut Kifle.
While speaking about the then jailed Swedish journalists, the late Ethiopian prime minister Meles Zenwi said “Swedish and Ethiopians are equal before our justice system; we both bleed the same color blood”. However, Ethiopia has pardoned the Swedish journalists who were jailed for assisting an outlawed rebel group in 2011.
According to observers whom Awramba Times spoke to, If the pardon legislation is not designed for the Interest of Ethiopians, no further proof needed that we don’t definitely bleed the same color blood.
Woubshet Taye, former deputy editor of the Awramba Times has been sentenced to 14 years in prison on January 26, 2012 of lending support to groups designated “terrorist” under Ethiopia’s vaguely worded and catch-all anti-terrorism law.
No official details have been given for the rejection of the pardon. A spokesman for the ministry of Justice was not immediately available for comment.

http://www.ze-aethiope.com/