Thursday, May 19, 2022
  • Login
Upgrade
The Southern African Times
  • Home
  • Southern Africa
  • Global
  • Business
    • African Start ups
    • African Continental Free Trade Area
  • Tech
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Culture
    • Food and Drink
    • Entertainment
  • SAT Jobs
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Southern Africa
  • Global
  • Business
    • African Start ups
    • African Continental Free Trade Area
  • Tech
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Culture
    • Food and Drink
    • Entertainment
  • SAT Jobs
No Result
View All Result
The Southern African Times
No Result
View All Result
Home in Southern Africa

Ethiopia passes law imposing jail terms for internet posts that stir unrest

by SAT Reporter
February 14, 2020
in in Southern Africa
0
Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed
0
VIEWS

Ethiopia’s parliament passed a law on Thursday imposing jail terms for people whose internet posts stir unrest, a move the government says is needed to prevent violence ahead of elections but which the United Nations says will stifle free speech.

Ethiopia, for decades one of the most tightly controlled states in Africa, has undergone huge political change since reformist Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took office two years ago.

But even as Abiy has freed political prisoners and journalists and lifted a ban on opposition parties, the authorities have struggled to contain a surge in ethnic violence. An election this year is seen as the biggest test yet of whether his ambitious political reforms can stick.

The new law permits fines of up to 100,000 Ethiopian birr ($3,000) and imprisonment for up to five years for anyone who shares or creates social media posts that are deemed to result in violence or disturbance of public order.

Some 297 lawmakers who were present in the chamber voted in favour of the bill while just 23 were opposed.

“Ethiopia has become a victim of disinformation,” lawmaker Abebe Godebo said. “The country is a land of diversity and this bill will help to balance those diversities.”

Several of the lawmakers who opposed the bill said it violates a constitutional guarantee of free speech.

Abiy, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last year for his reconciliation with Ethiopia’s neighbour and longtime foe Eritrea, has pledged that this year’s election will be free and fair. The nation of 108 million people has regularly held elections since 1995, but only one, in 2005, was competitive.

The law was first endorsed by Abiy’s cabinet in November. At the time, the U.N.’s special rapporteur on freedom of expression urged authorities to reconsider it, warning it would worsen already high ethnic tensions and possibly fuel further violence.

International rights groups say it creates a legal means for the government to muzzle opponents.

“Politicians or activists or others will be forced to be cautious, afraid that their speech might fall into the definition of hate speech or can be considered as false information,” said Amnesty International’s Ethiopia researcher Fisseha Tekle.

Next Post

South Africa look for a fresh start in T20Is against England

SAT Reporter

Related Posts

Namibia Launches Sovereign Wealth Fund
Business

Namibia Launches Sovereign Wealth Fund

by SAT Reporter
May 18, 2022
Zimbabwean gov’t urged to close legal loopholes of diamond smuggling
Zimbabwe

Zimbabwean gov’t urged to close legal loopholes of diamond smuggling

by SAT Reporter
May 18, 2022
Tanzania hosts forum to mark 100th anniversary of Nyerere’s birth
Tanzania

Tanzania hosts forum to mark 100th anniversary of Nyerere’s birth

by SAT Reporter
May 18, 2022
Zimbabwean banks will not lend to stop the currency’s slide.
Markets

Zimbabwean banks will not lend to stop the currency’s slide.

by SAT Reporter
May 9, 2022
PwC highlights impact of floods, prices increases, inflation on South Africa’s economy
Business

PwC highlights impact of floods, prices increases, inflation on South Africa’s economy

by SAT Reporter
April 29, 2022
Next Post
South Africa look for a fresh start in T20Is against England

South Africa look for a fresh start in T20Is against England

Premium Content

Vaccine producers must step up

Vaccine producers must step up

November 8, 2021
Kenya’s industrialists seek to ease goods clearance at points of entry

Kenya’s industrialists seek to ease goods clearance at points of entry

November 19, 2020
Nobel literary winner: UK govt lacks compassion for refugees

Nobel literary winner: UK govt lacks compassion for refugees

October 11, 2021

Browse by Category

  • African Continental Free Trade Area
  • African Start ups
  • Algeria
  • Analysis
  • Angola
  • Asia
  • BOTSWANA
  • Botswana
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Business
  • Business
  • Cameroon
  • Central Africa
  • China
  • Climate Change
  • Climate Changev
  • Congo Republic
  • COVID 19
  • Culture
  • Democratic Republic of Congo
  • Eastern Africa
  • Egypt
  • Entertainment
  • Environment
  • Ethiopia
  • Europe
  • Fashion
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Food and Drink
  • Foods
  • Ghana
  • Global
  • Guinea
  • Health
  • Immigration
  • in Southern Africa
  • International news
  • Just In
  • Kenya
  • Lesotho
  • Libya
  • Life Style
  • Lifestyle
  • Malawi
  • Malawi
  • Mali
  • Markets
  • Middle East
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Nigeria
  • North Africa
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Rwanda
  • Senegal
  • Seychelles
  • South Africa
  • South Sudan
  • Sports
  • Startup Africa
  • STOCK EXCHANGE
  • Tanzania
  • Tech
  • Togo
  • Travel
  • Travel
  • Tunisia
  • Uganda
  • Uncategorized
  • West Africa
  • World
  • World
  • ZAMBIA
  • Zambia
  • ZIMBABWE
  • Zimbabwe

Browse by Tags

African business news Africa New Africa News african footballer African investments African manufacturing industry African news Business Classic Content coronavirus Cyclone Idai Egypt Explore Bali Finance Foods football France Hopewell Mauwa kwacha Life Style mali news Market Stories MthuliNcube news Odion Ighalo Oilandgas Pandemic Premium reserve bank of Zambia Russia soccer South Africa Southern African News sports Stay Home United Stated Vaccine Wheat Work From Home Wuhan Zambia Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Harare Manufacturing Africa Employment creationn Zimbabwe job creation

WHO WE ARE

The Southern African Times is a regional bloc digital newspaper that covers Southern African and the world news. The paper also gives a nuanced analysis on news and covers a wide range of reporting which include sports, entertainment, foreign affairs, arts and culture.

Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram Rss

Copyright © 2022 The Southern African Times | Powered by The Southern African Times

Privacy Policy

Terms and Conditions

  • Home
  • Southern Africa
  • Global
  • Business
    • African Start ups
    • African Continental Free Trade Area
  • Tech
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Culture
    • Food and Drink
    • Entertainment
  • SAT Jobs

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?