Ethiopian journalist jailed for defaming powerful Orthodox clergy

[mike]

A court in Ethiopia has jailed a journalist to a year in prison on charges of defaming senior clergy members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Prosecutors had pushed for a three-year jail term.

Getachew Worku, the editor-in-chief of the weekly Amharic independent newspaper, Ethio-Mihidar, was arrested over a week ago. He was kept in police custody till today’s ruling was delivered, the Addis Standard news portal reported...

 

[seekeroftruth777]

Well show the proof, otherwise it slander, and defamation of a priest.

 

[hecma925]

Well show the proof, otherwise it slander, and defamation of a priest.

No, it'd be libel.

http://ethsat.com/2016/11/ethiopia-journalist-sentenced-one-year-prison/

 

[wgw]

African journalism is very unreliable.  In Ghana the papers routinely fabricated statements from and interviews with prominent people during my tenure in that otherwise very pleasant country.  I came to rely on South African papers for the news.

 

[Agabus]

Well show the proof, otherwise it slander, and defamation of a priest.

Should that be jailable?

 

[Mor Ephrem]

African journalism is very unreliable.  In Ghana the papers routinely fabricated statements from and interviews with prominent people during my tenure in that otherwise very pleasant country.  I came to rely on South African papers for the news.

So what you're saying is that African journalism is a mixed bag. 

 

[wgw]

African journalism is very unreliable.  In Ghana the papers routinely fabricated statements from and interviews with prominent people during my tenure in that otherwise very pleasant country.  I came to rely on South African papers for the news.

So what you're saying is that African journalism is a mixed bag.

What I am saying is that it is unreliable.  Depending on the country of origin it ranges from generally usable to complete rubbish.  This is why I suspect so many African regimes have criminal libel laws, because otherwise there is a tendency in the region for reporters to simply fabricate the news.  In Ghana this included branding the then minister of transport as "Mr. Condom-Free" for example.  In the case of Ethiopia, I am not familiae with their national press but if it operates like those of Ghana it is very likely this case was justifiable, and that the priest was in fact subject to some form of libel.  Ghana had no criminal libel laws, these having been removed with much fanfare towards the end of the Rawlings era, so efforts at correcting the problem were being made through industry self-regulation in the form of the GJA, an industry group which didna superb job pushing for improved quality by highlighting what one might very politely call errors of reportage.  On the other hand, Ethiopia, still having such laws, might be at a less advanced point in the development of its journalism.

 

[mike]

This is why I suspect so many African regimes have criminal libel laws, because otherwise there is a tendency in the region for reporters to simply fabricate the news.

That's exactly why regimes have libel laws, to promote good journalism.

Sigh...

 

[kijabeboy03]

A journalist in a country ruled by a regime that suppresses independent voices is jailed a WEEK after he alleged that the government-controlled patriarchate is corrupt. Why do I have the feeling that this will be bad for the Church of Ethiopia in the long run? :-(