Two Swedish journalists pardoned by Ethiopia after spending 11 months in jail for aiding a rebel group said yesterday that they had been subjected to a mock execution, and accused the country of using anti-terrorism laws to stifle journalism.
Reporter Martin Schibbye and photographer Johan Persson were arrested in July 2011 after entering the country from Somalia with fighters from the Ogaden National Liberation Front rebel group.
They said they had wanted to report on the effect of the work of a Swedish oil company and political situation in the Ogaden region and that the only way of entering the area was with the rebels’ help. The journalists were pardoned and released on Monday.
Schibbye said officials had tried to get them to confess to being terrorists. – (Reuters)