In a press conference they convened, UDJ chair Dr. Negassi Gidada, Secretary of the party Asrat Tasie, Secretary of UDJ’s national council, Mr. Tiegstu Awelu and public relations chief Mr. Daniel Tefera took turns to condemn the ban and urged the government to lift such an illegal measure taken against Fenote Netsanet, which was gaining wider popularity.
Negaso censured the regime for repeatedly violating its own constitution. He noted that article 30 allows peaceful assembly, holding rallies and petitioning government officials. He threatened that the party is considering taking the matter to court at least for historical record as the courts tend to endorse the decisions of government officials.
Dr. Negaso hinted that the party is considering setting up its own printing house but also expressed fear that the regime may even resort to confiscating it as there is no guarantee of rights in Ethiopia
Dr. Negass said that despite wide spread human rights violations in many parts of the country that have been steadily deteriorating since election 2005 there is no independent press that reports such violations.
Mr. Asrat Tasie said on his part that setting up a printing press would not alleviate the crisis on its own and emphasized the need to escalate the struggle for rights and freedom.
UDJ’s PR chief, Daniel Tefera, disclosed that Finote Netsanet was banned after the party started publishing over 20,000 copies, a fact he attributed to increasing readership and popularity. He reiterated the need for nonviolent efforts to have the ban lifted and basic rights respected.
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