The UN Human Rights Committee, the international expert body that monitors state compliance with the ICCPR, has repeatedly highlighted the importance of such proportionality. In international law, "necessary" restrictions on freedom of assembly must be proportionate: that is, carefully balanced against the specific reason for the restriction being put in place. 113 113 See, for example, UN Human Rights Committee, Vladimir Petrovich Laptesevich v. Belarus, Communication 780/1997. 49 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | JUNE 2016
IV. Restrictions on Access to Information The Ethiopian government’s pervasive restrictions on independent media and civil society organizations have resulted in tight control over the flow of information from affected areas. Information has become even sparser since early March when there were numerous reports that the government restricted access to many social media sites in Oromia. 114 Facebook and other social media platforms have been largely unavailable since that time. The restrictions are part of a broader repression of freedom of expression and access to information in Ethiopia, whose government is one of the biggest jailers of journalists in Africa. 115 What little independent media and analysis remains is concentrated in Addis Ababa, with limited independent reporting from Oromia. Ethiopian media coverage of the protests has largely repeated government narratives, with a few exceptions. At least two Addis-based journalists were arrested during the 2015-2016 protests although it is not clear whether their arrests are protest-related. Fikadu Mirkana and Getachew Shiferaw were arrested in Addis Ababa. 116 On April 28, 2016, Fikadu was released. On May 19, 2016, Getachew was charged under the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation. Several international journalists from France, the United Kingdom, and the United States and their translators have also been detained for up to 24 hours while trying to cover the protests. 117 International journalists regularly report having problems getting visas if they are suspected of investigating or reporting on politically sensitive topics or human rights issues, including the Oromia protests. 114 William Davison, Bloomberg, “Twitter, WhatsApp Down in Ethiopia Oromia Area After Unrest,” April 12, 2016, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-12/twitter-whatsapp-offline-in-ethiopia-s-oromia-area-after-unrestThe lack of availability of social media has primarily targeted Oromia (accessed May 19, 2016). 115 At least 12 journalists have been imprisoned, many of whom were convicted under Ethiopia’s abusive counterterrorism law. In 2014 at least 30 journalists fled the country and six independent publications closed down. The government intimidates and harasses printers, distributors, and sources. For comprehensive analysis of the different techniques and strategies used to decimate independent media, see Human Rights Watch, “’Journalism is Not A Crime’: Violations of Media Freedom in Ethiopia,” January 21, 2015, https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/ethiopia0115_ForUploadR.pdf. 116 Fikadu was arrested on December 19, 2015. Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), “Ethiopia arrests journalist after channel reports on protests,” December 22, 2015, https://www.cpj.org/2015/12/ethiopia-arrests-journalist-after-channelreports-.php (accessed May 19, 2016); Getachew was arrested on December 25, 2015. He was chief editor of Negere Ethiopia, the newspaper of the legally registered Semayawi (“blue”) Party. He was also a columnist for several publications. 117 Foreign Correspondents’ Association of East Africa, https://www.facebook.com/fcaeastafrica/posts/994952387266037?fref=nf (accessed May 19, 2016). “SUCH A BRUTAL CRACKDOWN” 50
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