The international media’s reaction on the verdict of the two Swedish journalists of supporting a terrorist group has been frenzied and largely censuring both the trial and finding of an Ethiopian high court. Time framed the account as a deplorable decision on its website. Huffingtonpost.com took identical stance on the story with Time. In Britain telegraph opted to focus on the demand of the Sweden government to release the journalists. Both Aljazeera and Christian Science Monitor estimated the sentence on the pair to be up to 15 years which is expected to be handed next week while many other media outlets took it up to 20 years.

Meanwhile only a handful of Ethiopian local media grabbed the story with a report of a greatest precautious detachment. The Amharic version of “The Reporter” wrote the verdict excluding any of the remarks made by any of international human right, press watch dog organizations and of course Swedish diplomatic community. Sheger FM is another local radio that approached the story with preventative measure of any sort of repercussion. Actually they had good reason to be cautious as they are vulnerable of being indicted of supporting terrorism because at present Ethiopia has accused more than ten journalists on the bases of litigious anti-terrorism law.

However Ethiopian exiled journalists and the online Ethiopian public are free from such apprehension of being indicted and write about this complicated and prolonged case of Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye. Apparently the major Ethiopian exiled online media; Addis Neger, brought the bona fide remarks of many Ethiopians to the world’s attention immediately after the court ruled the verdict. In breaking the news Addis Negers wrote on their facebook page:

“The Kangaroo court in Addis Ababa ruled this morning that the two Swedish journalists are guilty of supporting terrorist organizations. According to the draconian “Anti-Terrorism” law of Ethiopia, “encouragement of terrorism” is punishable by a rigorous imprisonment of 10-20 years”.

Many of the comments followed this facebook update of Addis Neger have largely backed Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye to get released and demanded the Swedish government to take hard line stance on Ethiopian government and pointed the finger of blame at the Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and his cronies.

Abiye Teklemariam, journalist who himself is being prosecuted in absentia with terrorism charges believes the unlucky capture and trial of Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye is pinpointing that if the Ethiopian government treats foreigners from donor countries badly, it treats locals even worse. He reacted on the decision of the panel of judges and their unanimous verdict after he quoted the statement of the middle man of jury, Shemsu Sirgaga
….“They have not been able to prove that they did not support terrorism,” [judge] Shemsu said, speaking in Ethiopia’s Amharic language….”Since they were caught with (ONLF) rebels we find it difficult to believe they only came to find that information.”

Abiy wrote “Is it conceivable that these judges have an even touristic knowledge of criminal law? Nauseating!”

Further damage to already damaged reputation of journalists’ treatment

In their reporting many international media organization made a reference of Ethiopian authorities’ bad reputation of journalists’ treatment and this could only broaden the already damaged reputation of Ethiopia. CPJ East Africa Consultant Tom Rhodes was quoted by many international media saying “We have reached a seminal point, which unfortunately we hit in the 2005 post-election crisis,” Furthermore Amnesty International’s Ethiopia researcher Claire Beston highlighted that “The sheer numbers of arrests and prosecutions this year indicate a systematic crackdown, a systematic dismantling of the last few independent voices,”

Indeed, I have been also chronicling the case of Martin Schibbye & Johan Persson and the general context in which Ethiopian journalists are operating since the trial Martin Schibbye & Johan Persson has begun in Addis Ababa in October.My reporting has included analyses of how the Ethiopian media both private and government media is covering court proceedings; how David Isaac, Eritrean-Swedish, was reported in Ethiopia’s media and the state of freedom of expression in Ethiopia such as continues brandish of arrests and accusations of journalists and opposition leaders. These malaises are most visible in Ethiopian media landscape since the ratification of the contentious anti-terrorism proclamation in 2009 which lead to the closure of independent newspapers, accusations, detentions and kicking out of journalists and bloggers out of their country.

Estimate on the pair’s sentences

Months before the verdict has been handed dawn to the journalists the international media has been guessing what would happen to the Swedes. Now the journalists are officially declared guilty of supporting terrorism on 21 December, much of the international media are already reporting the journalists could face up to 20 years in prison when they are sentenced on December 27.Now, the failure of Swedish government to oblige the Ethiopian government has become a dominant theme. Kiflu Hussain,a notable human right defender and writer said

‎””Silent diplomacy” failed. The Westerns along with the Swedes themselves who are merciless on the likes of Mugabe & Afwerki,cannot save the two Swedish journalists from their favorite dictator, Meles Zenawi.Apparently,the conviction by the Kangaroo court leads to long term incarceration. But I bet they’d be released soon since Zenawi always has something up his sleeve with this sort of “internationally “publicized cases. The question’s; would the Swedish journalists be sworn in to silence from speaking out against prison conditions in Ethiopia or would they disparage Zenawi’s regime like those Americans did after being pardoned by Tehran?”

However in a statement, Mr Reinfeldt does not agree with such views and said Sweden viewed the convictions in a very serious light and was already making high-level contact with the Ethiopian government to secure their release.”Our position is and continues to be that they were in the country on a journalistic assignment. They must be released as soon as possible in order to be reunited with their families in Sweden,” wrote BBC citing an official statement of Sweden Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Regardless of the upcoming sentence Martin Schibbye & Johan Persson would thank their colleagues all over the world for keeping them at the center of global media attention. It is evident that the Swedish media and journalists all over the world have done a huge public relations campaign to free them.

Last year I published what Ethiopians were searching in 2010 on the web. As 2011 is in close proximity to be over here is what Ethiopian internet users have been searching throughout 2011. Though there are no basic change interims of search term from 2010, there are some surprises. Let’s see the top searches by dividing them into three groups as top web search, news, images and product searches.
In similar manner as in 2010 the most regularly requested search term on Google by Ethiopians in 2011 is the social networking site, Facebook. The remaining top ten searches are not of big revelation – they are a blend of e-mail websites like Gmail and Yahoo. Ethiopia and BBC news are also amongst the top searched terms in 2011.
Google’s fastest rising search list also revealed that Gaddafi, DV2013 and an Ethiopian Television Drama called Sew le Sew are among fastest rising searches on Google. With DV2013 is a break out the remaining are almost comparable with top search terms.
Despite relentless coverage of the Great Renaissance Dam on Blue Nile by government and local media; it seems Ethiopians online are not interested to Google it. There is no single search item for the news of the grand project in the top searched items but it appears that the word “Abay” which means Blue Nile is among fastest rising search list.
Google Insights for Search, which registers the most searched images, reveals that Rihanna, Meles Zenawi, Renaldo were among the key words punched by many Ethiopians online.
Google Insights for Search sounds like a tool for everyone who is interested to know what Ethiopians were searching on Google should try it. Here is the link

Woubeshet Taye, Reyot Alemu, Eskinder Nega, Sileshi Hagos and at least four others have been ignored in the “fog” of an attentive international media reporting and social media driven public relations campaign to free two imprisoned Swedish journalists; Martin Schibbye & Johan Persson whose verdict is expected to be concluded on 21 December 2011.

Indeed, I have been chronicling the case of Martin Schibbye & Johan Persson and the general context in which Ethiopian journalists are operating since the trial Martin Schibbye & Johan Persson has begun in Addis Ababa in October. My reporting has included analyses of how the Ethiopian media both private and government media is covering court proceedings; how David Isaac, Eritrean-Swedish, was reported in Ethiopia’s media and the state of freedom of expression in Ethiopia such as continues brandish of arrests and accusations of journalists and opposition leaders. These malaises are most visible in Ethiopian media landscape since the ratification of the contentious anti-terrorism proclamation in 2009 which lead to the closure of independent newspapers, accusations, detentions and kicking out of journalists and bloggers out of their country.
Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson were pleaded not guilty in an Ethiopian court on Thursday to terrorism charges after they were caught with allegedly fighters of an outlawed rebel group called ONLF in the country’s Ogaden region last July.
In the rigorous Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson media coverage, eight other Ethiopian journalists — whose similar made up terrorism charges — has disappeared from most of the views of major international news media organization with the exception of handful news media organizations that have tried to shed light on cases of the Ethiopian journalists in light of the Swedish journalists.
“The world barely noticed these politico-criminal dramas in one of the west’s closest African allies – until the unfortunate arrest and trial of two Swedish journalists. Good news? Well, a useful rule of thumb is that if the Ethiopian government treats foreigners from donor countries badly, it treats locals even worse.” wrote Abiye Teklemariam Megenta who himself is being prosecuted in absentia with terrorism charges in his latest article on opendemocracy.net
The international news media coverage of the cases and the campaign on social media has been so effective so far and managed the international community to think of the defendants as highly- respected investigative journalists with wide-ranging experience in taking assignments in all over the world.
Sweden’s ambassador to Ethiopia, Jens Odlander, pointed out many journalists with the similar experience of the defendants has offered to be a professional witness, and two have flown to Addis Ababa. “Something very impressive is happening,” Odlander told for international news media in Addis Ababa. “We had a mail sent out to a few contact people we know about, some journalists, and they forwarded it to maybe 800 plus foreign correspondents, mainly from Anglo-Saxon countries, and we had at least 20 people who were ready to come and witness, and very many people told us they would write a story about this case.”

It is apparent that his comments come in the mildest of the high coverage of the trial on Wednesday and Thursday by the international media. “A British and an American war correspondent called as expert witnesses by the defense appeared in court on Wednesday, telling the court that entering a country illegally for reporting purposes is a work method commonly used by journalists in conflict zones”, reported Aljazeera.com. “Ethiopian Court Mulls Journalists’ Role in Conflict Zones” writes VOA in its English news website.
Regardless of the upcoming verdict Martin Schibbye & Johan Persson would thank their colleagues all over the world for keeping them at the center of global media attention. It is evident that the Swedish media and journalists all over the world have done a huge public relations campaign to free them.

In contrast, coverage of Ethiopian journalists locked up for terrorism charges though it is significant it is not as intensified as it should be. And Ethiopia’s local media gives insignificant attention for the matter ether. I never come across a single news, feature or commentary on Ethiopian government media regarding the cases of both accused Ethiopian and Swedish journalists.

As usual Ethiopian government has been a disappointment for its suppressive handling of the matter and religious leaders did also get extensive censure for their methodical silence on the theme

It was reported that in early hours of Saturday few homophobic protestors who managed to locate the where about of gay rights activists gathering to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) conference centre were broken up and the alleged coordinators of the demonstration detained for few hours by police in Addis Ababa. Now, the unstated endorsement of the government to the gay rights activists gathering in Addis Ababa and the calm and methodical approach of the religious leaders to the matter has become a dominant theme.

Just before the commencement of the 16th International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa; Ethiopian’s religious leaders’ tried to convened a meeting to denounce the preliminary meeting of gay rights activists gathering which was said to be organized and sponsored mainly by the African Men for Sexual Health and Rights (AMSHeR) but their effort was cancelled after a discussion with government officials. This precautious and secretive deal of government with religious leaders to cancel the press conference called for the admonition of the gay activist gathering in Addis brought them a grave condemnation from most of Ethiopia’s online community. Abel Wabella, a blogger, slammed the act of the religious leaders and pretenders ironically for their stance on the issue. In his Amharic article titled: “Are we (Ethiopians) not sodomists?” He confronted writers, the so called social commentators and the online community for their reticent approach of the recent wave of journalists’ accusation and detentions based on terrorism charges while they are bogusly noisy on occasions such as the topical gay right activists’ gatherings in Addis.

The fearful nature of the religious leaders to the subject is despicable as it has been clear that “they were not able to properly address the situation as they were stopped from giving any kind of press release” [sic] on the matter writes Mahlet Zesolomon in her blog.Tamerat Negera, one of the exiled journalists of Addis Neger in his exceptionally extended Facebook update on the issue has scorned them as:You have never been part of any non violent campaign for your freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of religion. When those who non violently fight for your freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of religion campaign for these rights to be respected you never joined them. When these people who are nonviolently fighting for you were sent to jail you didn’t campaign for their release or even bother to visit them. When they were tortured you didn’t console them. When they are persecuted to exile you didn’t even care. When they are killed you were too afraid to attend their funeral. But when it is about the freedom of others to speak, assemble and practice their religion you are committed to violently deny them their rights. You have always been careful not to put yourself in any danger to protect and defend your own right but you are totally committed to put yourself in mortal danger to deny the rights of others. What the hell are you?

By the way during the official opening ceremony of 16th ICASA conference Mr Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director, calls for the protection of minority among which Men who have sex with men(MSM) community remembers were mentioned in the presence of many members of religious leaders

With one or two bona fide critical and independent print media outlets remaining in the country of 85 million populations Feteh and Addis Admass wrote about the issue. –as usual it seems the later takes a frame that does not brazen out with the government. In contrast, The Reporter’s coverage of the issue tried to be wide-ranging with a negative side of homosexuality out weighing the negative ones; one can read the articles in the local press (for example here ).

Personally, I find falling in a tricky trap of denouncing or approving homosexuality in Ethiopia is ludicrous as we have much more serious and wider issues at our hand to discuss about such as freedom of expression. One particular quote worth mentioning to trivialize the hot issue of the media is Kiflu Hussein’s Facebook updates on the issue : Though, it’s difficult to embrace the universality & indivisibility of human rights including gay rights for many people who consider themselves liberal, thanks to the unknown reason, I have also accepted the rights of gays. So my problem doesn’t stem from Meles & Co. allowing a gay rights meeting in Ethiopia. Because I know that Meles uses any cheap trickery to ingratiate himself with the so-called international community, while deploying snipers to gun down even babies, he hosts a gay rights meeting. And the West that still discriminates using different facades such as discriminating against HIV positive people shed a crocodile tear for African gays with the worst bloody despot.

Global voices author Markos Lemma has also revised the context in which many Ethiopian online community is arguing on the matter