Slashdot Mirror
Ethiopia's State of Emergency Makes Posting To Facebook a Crime (qz.com)
Due to anti-government protests occurring in the country, Ethiopia has declared a state of emergency that, among other things, makes it a crime to post updates on Facebook about the current status of the country. "The military command will take action on those watching and posting on these social media outlets," Siraj Fegessa, Ethiopia's minister of defense, said on state television. Those who violate the terms of the state of emergency may be subject to prison for up to five years. Quartz reports: Ethiopia's largest ethnic groups, the Oromo and the Amhara, are protesting what they see as the marginalization of their rights and freedoms by the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), dominated by the Tigray minority. After a week of intensified protests that left businesses and government property destroyed, prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn declared a state of emergency on Oct 9 for the next six months. Under the state of emergency, all expressions or communication that could incite violence have been banned, including the now famous protest gesture of raised hands, crossed at the wrist. Authorities can search and detain citizens without prior approval. Discussing issues with foreigners that could incite violence or communicating with groups deemed terrorists is also illegal.
Under the state of emergency, all expressions or communication that could incite violence have been banned,
How can they communicate that new rule without violating it?
Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
Only one government was brave enough to make posting to Facebook a crime? What a travesty! ;)
Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
The more oppressive a government is, the more likely their name will include words like "people's", "republic", "democratic", "union", etc.. It means that the words have lost all of their original meanings.
I hope Ethiopia gets their problems worked out. I do love their coffee, especially the dry processed coffee.
"Under the state of emergency, all expressions or communication that could incite violence have been banned... Authorities can search and detain citizens without prior approval."
They would just need to add a ban on public gatherings to have the same conditions as France's state of "emergency" that has been in place for a full year now and been condemned [repeatedly] by the UN human rights council. As disturbing as such a thing is in Ethiopia, it is even more shocking in a "western democracy."
https://news.vice.com/article/...
"France's state of emergency legislation allows the government and the police to search and detain people without a warrant, place suspects under house arrest without prior judicial clearance, block certain websites, and ban public gatherings."
"They criticized France for imposing 'excessive and disproportionate restrictions on fundamental freedoms.'"
http://www.un.org/apps/news/st...
"In a list of concerns... regarding several state of emergency and surveillance laws that relate to the legitimate rights of privacy and freedoms – of expression, peaceful assembly and association."
"The UN experts also expressed alarm that environmental activists in France have been under house arrest in connection with the state of emergency invoked following the November attacks."
You realize we here at the US are still in a state of emergency for 15 years? We've signed snooping and all the extraordinary powers into law, like a permanent state of emergency. This is what's to be expected, good luck Ethiopia.