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Ethiopia Holding Kenyan Journalist Despite Court Ordered Release

Mohammed Yusuf

   NAIROBI - Lawyers representing a Kenyan journalist detained in Ethiopia
   say authorities are still holding him, despite an Ethiopian court last
   week ordering his release on bail. Press freedom groups are calling on
   Ethiopian authorities to release Yassin Juma, who was arrested in July
   along with two Ethiopian journalists. They are charged with inciting
   ethnic violence and plotting to kill senior Ethiopian officials, which
   they strongly deny.

   Kenyan journalist Yassin Juma has been held in Ethiopia since his
   arrest in early July, despite a court ordering his release on bail last
   Thursday.

   Juma's lawyer Tuli Bayisa went back to court Monday to push for Juma's
   release after having paid the bail. He saidthe judge told him police
   are refusing to let Juma go.

   "They are telling her (the judge) first it's the federal police that
   has been investigating them, and now the Addis Ababa police commission
   wants to investigate the matter once again, they said," said Bayisa.

   Juma was arrested along with two Ethiopian journalists while covering
   protests that erupted after the killing of Oromo singer Hachalu
   Hundessa.

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