The lawyer to three Ethiopian journalists who have been in detention for over two weeks have raised the alarm following refusal by the police to release them on bail despite a court order that they be given bail.
The three journalists, Solomon Shumye, Meaza Mohammed and Temesgen Desalegn, appeared before the Federal First Instance Court on Tuesday and were granted bail of about $190 each, but their lawyer, Henok Aklilu, has cried out over the refusal of the police to release them.
The Ethiopian federal police force had immediately appealed the judge’s decision at the High Court but the court overruled the lower court’s decision, and the three journalists were returned to police custody, according to Aklilu on Wednesday in an interview.
The lawyer said he was expecting that to happen but will continue to seek their release.
“These things have been very much common when politically motivated cases come to court, especially journalists who are very much critical of the regime.
“So, I was not surprised. You know, they give you bail in the lower court and it will be overturned by the higher court.
“So, we were appealing to the court that they release this unreasonable suspicion by the police to arrest someone. But the police, you know, the police are the police. They come up with all kinds of stories, which are not substantiated by any real evidence,” the lawyer said.
The three journalists are among 19 people arrested last month in a crackdown aimed at reporters who critical of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
The government had accused the journalists of inciting violence and disturbing the country’s peace through their work.
Desalegn who is the editor of privately owned Feteh magazine, is accused of inciting violence and public disturbance through unspecified interviews published on YouTube, while Shumye, a current affairs talk show host, is accused of inciting violence on his show while charges against Mohammed is not clear.