Ethiopia: 9 Media Workers Arrested

Nine bloggers and journalists were arrested in Addis Ababa, according to local media and Human Rights Watch, just days before Secretary of State John Kerry’s scheduled visit to Ethiopia.

Six bloggers for Zone 9, an Amharic-language website whose writers have criticized the government, and three freelance journalists were arrested. No formal charges have yet been filed. “The timing of the arrests -- just days before the US secretary of state’s visit — speaks volumes about Ethiopia’s disregard for free speech,” said Leslie Lefkow, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Africa division.