Breaking News: TPLF sentenced Eskinder Nega and Andualem Arage

 

ADDIS ABABA (AFP) — An Ethiopian court on Thursday dismissed the appeal of blogger Eskinder Nega and opposition leader Andualem Arage who were jailed last year for terror-related offences.

From left: Journalist Eskinder Nega and opposition leader Andualem Arage

“The sentencing is still correct so there is no reduction,” said Supreme Court judge Dagne Melaku, confirming Eskinder’s jail term of 18 years and Andualem’s life sentence.
One of the charges — serving as a leader of a terrorist organisation — was dropped, but had no affect on sentencing.
After the ruling, Eskinder made an emotional appeal to the court which was crowded with family, friends and diplomats.
“The truth will set us free,” he said. “We want the Ethiopian public to know that the truth will reveal itself, it’s only a matter of time.”
Both men are accused of links to the outlawed opposition group Ginbot 7.
“The walls of justice will be demolished,” Andualem told AFP.
Four other men also jailed for terror-related charges had their appeal quashed.
One other defendant, however, Kinfe Michael, had his sentence reduced from 25 years to 16 years.
Rights groups have called Ethiopia’s anti-terrorism legislation vague and accuse the government of using the law to stifle peaceful dissent.
“I am very sad, I am very angry, I cannot talk rationally,” Eskinder’s wife Serkalem Fasil told AFP after the decision.
Defence lawyer Abebe Guta said that justice had not been served, and that if his clients agreed, they would appeal to court of cassation, Ethiopia’s highest court.
Ethiopia has one of the most restricted media in the world and the highest number of journalists living in exile, according to US-based press watchdog, the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Last year Eskinder was awarded the prestigious PEN America’s “Freedom to Write” annual prize.
Rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch condemned the initial conviction of the Eskinder in July 2012.

Who are the Enemies of Amhara and other Ethiopians?

by Rosa Abadir

I prefer not to write about individuals/groups but this time I am making an exceptional because of its significance. Plus, in this piece I wouldn’t concentrate on a single subject instead I would like borrow the writing strategy of my favourite political satirist Aba Tokichaw, where he executes various topics in one piece like the game of “two birds with one rock” in which I’ve always enjoy reading his commentaries.

Having said that! The current unforgiving improper displacement of against innocent Amharic speaking Ethiopians shows that the obstinate plan of the Tigrian’s People Liberation Front (TPLF) ethno-apartheid rulers to destroy the people of Ethiopia. Indeed, this is a deliberate move by TPLF gangs to gradually eliminate not only Amhara ethnic group, but also other Ethiopians specifically it’s a direct attack to systematically silent the Ethiopian people. Generally, TPLF master mind criminal leaders reaction towards Ethiopians with furious hate, distortion and unjustified accusation is understand why they are in such extreme agony trying to continue to find a route in order to prolong their power.
No wonder that this is neither the beginning nor end of the TPLF methodical violence against innocent Ethiopians. Apparently, the suffering of Amhara or other Ethiopians has not started yesterday; it has been going on for more than 20 years. In fact not only Amhara who has been continuously abused and dehumanized, but also other Ethiopian tribes including Oromo, Benshanguel, Gurage, Sidama, Ogaden, Welayita, Afar, Gambella, Tigre and others have also been targeted and victimized for the last two decades by TPLF savage group. However, unless we tend to forget what happened for the last 20 years, personally I am not surprised by continuous TPLF crimes against humanity; instead I am staggered by many of us when we are unable to identify the enemies of Amhara and other Ethiopians that are worse than TPLF.
Seemingly, unless we are naïve or tend to have a deficiency to remember what has happened for the last few years, I don’t think it is a bizarre to anyone any longer that TPLF is the worst criminal and corrupted group that is dedicated to destroy our country. However, we keep failing to realize that our victory is pushed afar by those who fight us to deliberately delay or avoid our victory, and by those among us who inflexibly work against our collective cause. Yes, we have to be careful as to how we should respond to this group of people, but we should fight both and should not trap in the same empty trap again.
These days I keep hearing and reading the comments by those arrogant, selfish and racist individuals who claim to be Amhara want to use this awful event to advocate their tiny interests in the name of poor Amharas. After few months of delusional and frenzy media appearances, recently a few individuals like Ato Hailu Shawel, members of MORESH ( a group that don’t have even a clear stand as its members/leaders sometime describe their goal as if they are a civic organization while at the same time they portray the group as a liberators of Amhara who is engaged with armed struggle) , Dr. Abeba, Dr Assefa Negash, Mirchaw Sinishaw (a person who resides in Washington DC and a former Derg revolutionary army “Abyiot Tebaki” who is being accused by many people not only involving in crimes during red terror but also have shamefully taken a money that was collected for famine victims) and other racist, arrogant and narrow minded individuals came back and started to appear on various media and wants to continue to play their filthy game by pretending as if they are a vanguard for Amhara people, which is very laughable.
Undeniably, the truth makes all of us free. It would be sensible and legitimate to ask ourselves who are those pompous individuals and what is their background and reputation. Surely, the answer is not hidden to all of us unless we are misled by their forked tongues and crocodile tears and take their word gullibly. Therefore, many of these individuals who have not only responsible for the demise of kinijit but also repeatedly insulted and undermined many freedom lover Ethiopians as well as constantly attacking various genuine opposition groups and their leaders. Seemingly, it is funny to hear and see these individuals’ want to portray themselves as a defender of Amhara while their heart knows that they are the enemies of Amhara worse than TPLF who have never been hesitated to destroy any type of struggle as long as they not in the position to hold power. Because, it is a pure power & money monger attitude of some Ethiopians. For them democracy, election and justice works as long as they stand as the champion, otherwise they would not be on the position to accept the sovereign of the people. Without any doubt, if people like these individuals had a chance they would be the most next notorious tyrant after TPLF and would not hesitate to kill everyone who has different ideas or races; however, the good thing is that they could not do anything better than using a lowlife kind of political discourse, of course name calling & insult as they all have no clue about logical argument except uttering their non-sense flap-trap day in and day out all over the planet.
Truthfully, we have observed them many times as they are always trying to avoid responsibility and from being accountable and pointing their fingers out on other Ethiopians who are practically challenging the TPLF regime in various direction. Especially for the last few months they are commonly known for advocating things in order to advance their tiny power and money interests in

Boston Marathon Bombings: Robel Phillipos, Ethiopian Origin Charged

Bomb suspect’s friend Robel Phillipos: Who is he?

More information emerges on the three friends who aided the Boston Marathon bombing suspect, Dzhokar Tsarnaev.
Robel Phillipos, charged with lying to authorities investigating the Boston Marathon bombings, was the first friend to recognize Dzhokar Tsarnaev’s photo on TV news and alert the two other university students accused of aiding the suspect, according to the FBI affidavit released Wednesday.

Robel Phillipos, 19, appeared in federal court in Boston on Wednesday after he and two other friends of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were charged with removing a backpack containing hollowed-out fireworks from Tsarnaev’s dorm room and then lying about it.

Phillipos, Tsarnaev and Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov attended the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. Phillipos, 19, of Cambridge, was studying marketing, but the university said Wednesday he is not currently enrolled.
With Tsarnaev, he was a 2011 graduate of the prestigious Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, the city schools’ superintendent’s office said.
Phillipos, a U.S. citizen, lives with his mother, who is from Ethiopia and works with refugees, WHDH-TV reported. Their Cambridge apartment is next to the gas station where the Tsarnaev brothers carjacked a vehicle before getting into the shootout with police in which 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed.
“Robel is a nice boy, very nice kid,” said neighbor Tecleverhan Mengistu, who has known the family for 15 years. “He (doesn’t) talk too much…he’s a very nice boy.”
Phillipos, wearing a white T-shirt with blue stripes and sagging, beltless jeans, appeared in court Wednesday afternoon. At one point, Magistrate Judge Marianne Bowler admonished him, saying, “I suggest you pay attention to me, rather than looking down.”
He waived bail until a later date and said he could afford a lawyer. He is due back in court Monday.
If convicted, Phillipos faces a maximum sentence of eight years and a $250,000 fine.
According to the criminal complaint, Phillipos said that Tazhayakov and Kadyrbayev “started to freak out” when they realized April 18 that their friend Tsarnaev was apparently involved in the bombings three days before. He told investigators he did not understand much of what they said because they spoke Russian.
Phillipos “initially said that he did not remember
going to Tsarnaev’s dormitory room on the evening of April 18″ with Tazhayakov and Kadyrbayev, saying he was asleep at their New Bedford apartment, the complaint states. But in a fourth interview, on April 26, admitted to investigators that the three had gone to the dorm room, seen seven red tubular fireworks in Tsarnaev’s backpack.and then disposed of the bag.
The affidavit states:

They noticed a backpack containing fireworks. The fireworks had been opened and emptied of powder. Kadyrbayev knew when he saw the empty fireworks that Tsarnaev was involved in the Marathon bombing. Kadyrbayev decided to remove the backpack from the room in order to help his friend Tsarnaev avoid trouble. He decided to take Tsarnaev’s laptop as well because he did not want Tsarnaev’s roommate to think he was stealing or behaving suspiciously by just taking the backpack.

When it was found in a New Bedford landfill, the backpack contained fireworks, a jar of Vaseline, a UMass-Dartmouth homework assignment from Tsarnaev, and other items.
Source: USA Today