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Lateniteon Jan 02, 2012 5:35pm
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Ethiopia jails Swedish journalists for aiding rebe
Ethiopia jails Swedish journalists for aiding rebe Bump: (REUTERS)
https://in.reuters.com/article/2011/12/27/ethiopia-sweden-journalists-idINDEE7BQ0CS20111227
Ethiopia jails Swedish journalists for aiding rebels
(Reuters) - An Ethiopian court sentenced two Swedish journalists on Tuesday to 11 years in prison each for helping and promoting the outlawed Ogaden National Liberation Front rebel group and entering the country illegally.
Reporter Martin Schibbye and photographer Johan Persson were arrested in July after they entered Ethiopia's Ogaden province from Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region with ONLF fighters.
"The court has sentenced both defendants to 11 years. We have heard both cases ... and we believe this is an appropriate sentence," Judge Shemsu Sirgaga told the court.
Sweden's State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Frank Belfrage said his country would keep up efforts to free the two men by contacting Ethiopian ministers and consulting with the United States and the European Union.
"We of course take this sentence extremely seriously in light of the fact our assumption throughout has been that they were there on a journalistic mission," Belfrage told Reuters.
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said after the journalists were found guilty of the charges last week that Sweden was seriously concerned and the journalists should be freed as soon as possible.
Both the European Union and the United States have also said they are concerned by the case.
"Their sentencing on terrorism related charges raises concerns about the freedom of media and expression in Ethiopia," said a statement from the office of EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
The Swedes were acquitted in November on charges of terrorism after the court found they were not involved in carrying out any attacks. They did say they had crossed the border without a permit.
The two have …