Thereโs a prison, hidden in the suburbs of Addis Ababa, namedย Kality. Home to many of Ethiopiaโs political prisoners, the prison is divided into eight zones. The last of these zones, Zone Eight, isย homeย to detained journalists, human rights activists, and dissidents.
Free Zone 9 bloggers campaign image. Created by Hugh DโAndrade, remixed by Hisham Almiraat; viaย Global Voices Advocacy.
To some Ethiopian netizens, there is a Ninth Zone โ a Zone dedicated to theย โproverbial prison in which all Ethiopians liveโ. In 2012, a group of passionate Ethiopian bloggers launchedย Zone Nine, a blogging collective that, in itsย own words, โblogs because it caresโ. Zone Nineย prides itselfย on providing a counter to the opinions, voices, and attitudes that dominate Ethiopiaโs press.
The six arrested Zone Nine bloggers; viaย Global Voices Advocacy.
In April 2014, six of Zone Nineโs bloggers โ along with three print journalists suspected of associating with the group โ were arrested on the grounds that they wereย covertly receiving money from foreign human rights organizations to incite violence through social media.
63 days have passed since their detention. The bloggers have appeared in court continually over the past few months while beingย detainedย in Addis Ababaโs Maekelawi detention center. No formal charges have been leveled against them as of yet. That said, activists fear that these bloggers and journalists will suffer the same fate that befellEskinder Nega and Reeyot Alemu, two journalists imprisoned and charged with terrorism (a crime that carries heavy fines and a lengthy prison term) in 2011.
The collective has blogged about numerous political issues affecting the Ethiopian populace, hoping to bolster civic discourse in service of social change. In the wake of Prime Minister Meles Zenawiโs death, for example, Zone Nineย penned scathing critiquesย of Zenawiโs proclaimed economic development achievements, casting doubt on his legacies. They also partnered with Global Voices to launchย Global Voices in Amharicย in 2012, hoping to make international news accessible to local readers.
Since its inception, Zone Nine has amassed a passionate readership within the country. According to its own bloggers, Zone Nineโs stories have occasionally beenย picked up by wider-known publicationsย within the country, signaling wider support for the messages it has broadcasted. Outside of Ethiopia, the detention of the Zone Nine bloggers has ignited public furor. Global Voices launched aย #FreeZone9Bloggers hashtagging campaignย and organized a FreeZone9Bloggersย Tweetathonย on May 14, while UN High Commissioner Navi Pillayย criticizedย Ethiopiaโs increasing frequency of charges against journalists on the grounds of terrorism.
