Ethiopia pardons Swedish journalists: official
JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 10 September 2012
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Two Swedish journalists, Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye, have been pardoned after spending over a year in prison in Ethiopia. Their release comes ahead of a mass amnesty ceremony approved by the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.Summary
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia: A senior Ethiopian government official says two Swedish journalists who have been imprisoned in Ethiopia for more than a year have been pardoned and are set to be freed at an upcoming mass amnesty ceremony.
The decision to pardon photographer Johan Persson and reporter Martin Schibbye had been approved by the late Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, the official said Monday, requesting anonymity because he was not authorized to divulge this information ahead of the event.
Persson and Schibbye have been in jail since July 2011, when they were arrested while trying to cross from Somalia into Ethiopia along with fighters from the separatist Ogaden National Liberation Front, which Ethiopia classifies as a terrorist group.
They were sentenced to 11 years for abetting terrorism and entering the country illegally.- AP
Key Points
- Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye were imprisoned in Ethiopia for over a year.
- They were sentenced for terrorism-related charges and illegal entry.
- The pardon was granted by a senior Ethiopian official.
- The decision is linked to an upcoming mass amnesty ceremony.
- Persson and Schibbye were arrested in July 2011.
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