Zone 9 bloggers

The Zone 9 bloggers are a blogging group from Ethiopia, who maintain a blog in Amharic. On 25 and 26 April 2014, the Ethiopian government arrested six members of the Zone 9 bloggers network and three other journalists, who all now face terrorism charges for their writing. The action has sparked online protest.

They were additionally charged with conspiracy for using basic online encryption tools that journalists routinely use to protect their sources. The arrested bloggers and journalists received training in digital security from the Tactical Technology Collective / Front Line Defenders Security in a Box program.

Ethiopia’s constitution explicitly protects freedom of speech and the right to privacy, yet the media is controlled by the government. Although the Internet is harder to censor than broadcast or print, the government has exercised control by jailing those who use the Internet to communicate critically about social or political issues in the country. There is only one Internet service provider (ISP) in Ethiopia, Ethio telecom, and it is owned by the government. Also in 2012, Ethio telecom blocked access to the Tor network, which lets users browse the Internet anonymously and access blocked websites.

On 8 and 9 July 2015, five of the bloggers were released from prison and all charges against them were dropped. Zelalem Kiberet, Tesfalem Waldyes, Asmamaw Hailegiorgis, Mahlet Fantahun and Edom Kassaye were freed, whilst Befeqadu Hailu, Natnael Feleke, Atnaf Berahane and Abel Wabela remain in jail.

In 2015 the Zone 9 bloggers were awarded the International Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists.

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Wikipedia