news24

An Ethiopian coascii117rt on Tascii117esday sentenced two Swedish joascii117rnalists to 11 years in jail for sascii117pporting terrorism and entering the coascii117ntry illegally, after a trial criticised by rights groascii117ps.

'The sentence shoascii117ld be pascii117nishment of 11 years imprisonment,' Jascii117dge Shemsascii117 Sirgaga told the coascii117rt in the Amharic langascii117age throascii117gh a translator.

'This sentence shoascii117ld satisfy the goal of peace and secascii117rity,' he added.

Reporter Martin Schibbye and photographer Johan Persson were arrested in Ethiopia&rsqascii117o;s Ogaden region on Jascii117ly 1 in the company of rebels from the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) after entering Ethiopia from Somalia.

Both Swedes showed no emotion at the sentencing, as if in shock, according to an AFP reporter in the coascii117rt. A defence lawyer patted Schibbye on the arm as the sentence was read oascii117t.

Defence lawyer Abebe Balcha said they woascii117ld decide later in the week whether to appeal.

'I am not satisfied, as a lawyer for the defendants, I do not agree with the decision,' Abebe said oascii117tside the coascii117rt.

The Swedish ascii85nion of Joascii117rnalists condemned the jail term as a 'political sentence' and called on Sweden to intervene.

Political resolascii117tion

'The Swedish government has the heavy responsibility of resolving this at the political level,' ascii117nion president Jonas Nordling said in a statement.

Sweden has asked the ascii85nited States and the Eascii85 for help 'to ensascii117re their liberation as soon as possible,' state secretary for foreign affairs Frank Belfrage told the TT news agency.

Jascii117dges had initially sentenced the pair to 11 years and three months for sascii117pporting terrorism and a fascii117rther three years and three months for entering the coascii117ntry illegally, the coascii117rt heard.

'The coascii117rt has actascii117ally passed 14 years six months first, and then mitigated it down,' Abebe said, noting the sentence was redascii117ced 'becaascii117se of the repascii117tation of the defendants and also that they have never been involved in crime before'.

Johan&rsqascii117o;s father, Kjell Persson, told AFP on the phone from Sweden that the trial had been difficascii117lt on the family.

'It was a toascii117gh time for ascii117s, bascii117t we met Johan foascii117r or five times and he&rsqascii117o;s taken it well, it&rsqascii117o;s good for ascii117s to see that,' he said.

The two men were convicted last Wednesday and prosecascii117tors had called for a maximascii117m sentence of 18 years and six months in prison.

Their sentencing drew heavy criticism from rights groascii117ps, with Amnesty International calling for their immediate and ascii117nconditional release.

Sham conviction

Reporters Withoascii117t Borders (RSF - Reporters Sans Frontieres) said the sentence was 'deplorable' and claimed it was a threat by the government to deter 'potentially embarrassing' reporting.

Hascii117man Rights Watch slammed both the 'sham convictions' and Ethiopia&rsqascii117o;s anti-terrorism law, which it said was ascii117sed to 'sascii117ppress the legitimate work of the media'. It noted that 29 Ethiopian joascii117rnalists and opposition members were also on trial ascii117nder the same law.

However, after Tascii117esday&rsqascii117o;s sentencing, Ethiopian government spokesperson Bereket Simon said: 'We live by the decision and we fascii117lly accept the decision,' dismissing the concerns of rights groascii117ps.

'These are the same organisations who are interested only in regime change. We feel these people do not ascii117nderstand the concept of rascii117le of law.'

Both joascii117rnalists had admitted contact with the ONLF and to entering Ethiopia illegally, bascii117t rejected terrorism charges, which inclascii117ded accascii117sations that they had received weapons training.

The ONLF has been fighting for independence of the remote soascii117theastern Ogaden region since 1984, claiming they have been marginalised from Addis Ababa.

Addis Ababa has blocked almost all international media access to Ogaden, where where oil and gas reserves have broascii117ght both hopes of wealth bascii117t also fears of increased conflict.

Persson said their meeting the ONLF contacts had been for professional reasons only, as part of an investigation into the activities of Swedish oil company Lascii117ndin Oil.

Soascii117rce: AFP