We can’t close a file that has not been opened: Judge tells editor in Gondar
Newspapers in Ethiopia are limited in
what they can print
06 September, 2008 - Ethiopian Reporter
When on August 28 Amare Aregawi was released from a Gondar prison, he was told by the court that his next “pre-trial hearing” was on September 1. He went back to Gondar on the specified date only to find out that he could not appear before the court. The reason? “Responsible officials” and the charge file were not available.
Amare said that he was told that no charge had been filed against him and that there were no documents in the Records Department of the court to prove otherwise.
Despite his attempts to get hold of the judge who had told Amare to appear before the court on Monday, September 1, Weizero Sintayehu was not available; neither were judge Zewditu and the prosecutor Aschal Yeshanew who had denied him bail.
When Amare went into the Records Department and asked to be shown his file, he was informed that there existed no file for his case and that there was no schedule for a hearing regarding him versus anyone.
Finally, he was able to meet with judge Alebel Ayele who had also presided over Amare’s hearing and had granted him bail. Judge Alebel, according to Amare, had no file regarding his case. He advised him to take back the 300 birr he had posted as bail bond.
Amare asked if at least he could have his file closed.
“How can we close a charge file that has not been opened?” Judge Alebel asked, according to Amare.
Amare then went to the police station where he was detained. The inspector who conducted the investigation was not available.
The officer in charge of the police station and an inspector, however, told the editor that they could not send the files to court because they did not believe the issue warranted pressing charges.
Unable to appear before the court Amare returned to Addis Ababa on the same day.
On August 22 Amare was arrested from his office in Addis Ababa where the The Reporter is prepared and taken to Gondar some seven hundred kilometers north.
He was released after he spent six days in detention.