The document summarizes freedom of expression and association in Ethiopia based on its constitution, laws, and practices. It notes that while the constitution recognizes these freedoms, subsequent laws like the anti-terrorism and CSO laws have been used to restrict them. Specifically, after the 2005 election where the opposition almost won, these laws have been applied to silence journalists, activists, and opposition parties. As a result, civic space has shrunk and Ethiopia has become a de facto one-party state with little political or civic participation. International organizations continue to criticize Ethiopia's poor human rights record in this area.

1. COUNTRY BRIEF: FREEDOM
OF EXPRESSION AND
ASSOCIATION IN ETHIOPIA
Law and practice
By Fasil Girma

2. THE CONSTITUTION
 Had three written constitutions (in 1931, 1955 and 1987)
 The current FDRE constitution entered in to force on 21 August 1995.
 Established ethnic based federal state
 more than 1/3 of its content is on fundamental human and people’s rights.
 incorporates several human rights, traditional civil and political rights to socio-
economic and group or solidarity rights
 embodies several civil and political rights ( life, security of the person, liberty,
...)
 Recognizes freedom of expression, association and assembly

3. OTHER LAWS
 Anti-Terrorism proclamation (2009)
 Conflicts with the constitution’s provisions
 Restricts freedom of expression
 Violets basic human rights
 Vague restrictions
 Manly it allow the authorities to criminalize the exercise of
freedom of expression.
 Frequently used to silence journalists, activists and opposition
politicians

4. OTHER LAWS...
 Charities and Societies proclamation (2009)
 Restricts freedom of association
 Limits civic societies activities
 It prohibits “foreign” NGO’s from engaging in human rights,
women’s rights, children’s rights, disability rights, etc..
 foreign” NGO includes local NGOs that receive more than 10%
of their funding from foreign sources.
 Frequently used to silence vibrant civic society organizations

5. OTHER LAWS
 Mass Media and Information Freedom proclamation (2008)
 The ceiling for compensation in cases of civil defamation increases
from what used to be 1000 birr in the repealed press law to 100,000
birr (6080 US$) now.
 Intimidates publishers and owners
 Allows for the public prosecutor to issue an order to impound a
periodical or a book

6. PRACTICE
The 2005 election is a game changing event in Ethiopia.
 Pre 2005 election
 Wider public participation
 Civic societies had active engagement on the democratization
process in the country’s history
 Media played significant role
 There was active conversation between competing parties, civic
societies and the media in an integrated forum

7. PRACTICE
 On 2005 election
 The opposition CUD almost won the ruling EPRDF in the 2005
election
 Election results converted in to the ruling party’s favor
 Almost 200 persons who were demonstrating on the streets were
killed
 Opposition political party leaders, journalists, activists and civic
society leaders were arrested

8. PRACTICE
 Post 2005 election
 New laws adopted that contradicts to the country’s constriction (CSO
law, Anti-terrorism law etc..)
 Many civic societies’ organizations were affected by the laws
(Ethiopian Human Rights Council, The Ethiopian Women Lawyers
Association...)
 Private press is highly affected by the anti-terrorism law

9. SOME EXAMPLES
Attack on civic societies
 Gov’t freezes the Ethiopian Human Rights Council’s money, about
Birr 6 million
 It was also forced to down size its human resource by 80%
 The Vibrant Ethiopian Women lawyers Association is grappling to
survive due to budget cut.
 More than 85% of Civic societies forced to shifted their agenda from
human and civic rights to charities due to the cso law

10. SOME EXAMPLES..
Attack on press
 December 2009, Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson were convicted
 2011, Hellman-Hammett Award winner Woubshet Taye was arrested.
 2011, Reeyot Alemu, a journalist for Feteh, was arrested
 2012 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award recipient Eskinder Nega was
arrested
 2014 six members of the Zone 9 blogging collective were arrested under terrorism charges
 2014 three publishers were charged under terrorism charges
 2014 journalist Temesgen desalegne was sentenced three years of imprisonment on
defamation cases.

11. REPORTS
 Human rights watch reported in 2015 : Hopes that Ethiopia’s government
would ease its crackdown on dissent ahead of the May 2015 elections were dashed
in 2014.
 Committee To Protect Journalists (CPJ) rates Ethiopia one of the most
censored country in the world.
 The US State Department on Human Rights’ report severely criticizes Ethiopia
in relation to the handling and practice of basic human rights
 Amnesty International reported Ethiopia jailed large numbers of legally
registered opposition political parties, journalists, bloggers and protesters.

12. IMPACT
 Practically, the country has become a police state and is now being
governed under one party system (multi party system diminishes)
 In the 2010 election the ruling EPRDF won 99.6% of the 547
parliamentary sets
 In the 2015 election the ruling EPRDF won 100% of all the 547
parliamentary seats
 Direct and indirect political participation is undermined
 No Accountability and Transparency
 High level of grand and political corruption

13. WAY FORWARD
 Networking with local, regional and international civic societies’
organizations and the media is important for better capacity to
challenge the government in Ethiopia for freedom of expression and
association.
 Building integrated approach with regional and international
organizations can help boost cso’s and the barely existed media’s
confidence and capacity in Ethiopia.

14. THANK YOU!