From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Sun Jun 20 2010 - 17:14:23 EDT
Ethiopia Expels U.S. Journalist for Probing Civilian Deaths
- By Jason McLure
June 20th, 2010
Ethiopia expelled an American journalist working for the U.S.-owned Voice of
America radio service after detaining her for reporting claims by a rebel
group that government forces killed 71 civilians.
Heather Murdock said today that she was detained by Ethiopian security June
12 while investigating reports by the separatist Ogaden National Liberation
Front of killings last week near the eastern Ethiopian town of Babile,
Murdock said in an e-mail today. She was released two days later and
expelled from the country on June 17.
Bereket Simon, Ethiopia's communication affairs minister, confirmed the
expulsion, saying in a phone interview Murdock "was searching for ONLF
people."
Murdock said from Cairo she "didn't know talking to people was a crime in
Ethiopia."
Ethiopia's foreign ministry accused VOA of attempting to undermine the
country's May 23 elections and of "rooting for violence," according to an
e-mailed statement yesterday.
Ethiopia, where virtually all domestic radio broadcasters are controlled by
the government or Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's ruling party, has jammed VOA
broadcasts to Ethiopia since March. Last year, it jailed an Ethiopian
reporter for VOA for two weeks on tax charges before releasing him.
-Editors: Ana Monteiro, Randall Hackley.
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