Ethiopia expels U.S. journalist for probing civilian deaths Posted by miharbi on June 21 2010 02:33:24
Ethiopia expels U.S. journalist for probing civilian deaths
By Jason McLure | June 19, 2010
Heather Murdock said today that she was detained by Ethiopian security June 12 while investigating reports by the separatist Ogaden National Liberation Front of killings last week near the eastern Ethiopian town of Babile, Murdock said in an e-mail today. She was released two days later and expelled from the country on June 17.
Bereket Simon, Ethiopia’s communication affairs minister, confirmed the expulsion, saying in a phone interview Murdock “was searching for ONLF people.”
Murdock said from Cairo she “didn’t know talking to people was a crime in Ethiopia.”
Ethiopia’s foreign ministry accused VOA of attempting to undermine the country’s May 23 elections and of “rooting for violence,” according to an e-mailed statement yesterday.
Ethiopia, where virtually all domestic radio broadcasters are controlled by the government or Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s ruling party, has jammed VOA broadcasts to Ethiopia since March. Last year, it jailed an Ethiopian reporter for VOA for two weeks on tax charges before releasing him.
---
Source: Bloomberg BusinessWeek
Background
Heather Murdock has been reporting from Sanaa, Yemen since June 2009. Originally from New York City, she is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, with degrees in journalism and political science. Heather has also written for the Washington Times, the Valley News, NBC30, the Yemen Times, Yemen Today, Time.com and has recently appeared on the CBS Evening News.
