Addis Ababa, December 21 (WIC) – The third criminal bench of the Federal High Court on Wednesday convicted the two Swedish journalists charged with rendering support to a terrorist group and illegal entry into Ethiopia.
Martin Schibbye and Johan Parsson were captured in the Ogaden area in July with ONLF terrorist fighters after an ambush that left 15 of the terrorist group’s fighters dead.
Federal prosecutors charged the two Swedes in September along with two ONLF fighters for rendering support to a terrorist group, participating in terrorism and transgressing political and territorial sovereignty of the country.
The court dropped the charge “participating in terrorism” and ruled the defendants to defend the other two charges. The two ONLF fighters captured with the Swedes admitted guilt and are now serving a 17 year jail term.
The Swedes, who admitted to entering Ethiopia “without proper documentations”, maintained their innocence in the terror charge. They argued they were following a story about a Swedish company engaged in oil exploration (Lundin Oil/Africa Oil) in the Ogaden area.
In a packed court and under the watchful eye of international and local media today, the court, presided over by three judges, unanimously found the defendants guilty on both charges.
The Swedish company (Africa Oil) has a formal agreement with the Ethiopian government; the court said adding that the defendants could have legally followed their story instead of resorting to illegal means. The court also noted inconsistencies between testimonies of defense witnesses.
Prosecutors have alleged that the Swedes met with senior ONLF leaders in neighboring Kenya, Somalia and London before entering Ethiopia from neighboring Somalia with fighters of the terrorist group. They have also presented video evidence showing the Swedes holding guns with ONLF fighters.
“Throughout out their [the defendants] journey they maintained contact with the terrorist ONLF group and not with the Ethiopian government then crossed the boarder illegally,” said the presiding judge reading out from the verdict.
“This is proof that their motive was beyond gathering information about the Swedish company engaged in oil exploration but to render support to the terrorist group under the cover of journalistic profession,” the judge held.
Diplomats and relatives of the defendants were in attendance as the two Swedes silently listened to the verdict from the defendants’ box.
With conviction on both charges, the Swedes now face a lengthy prison term in Ethiopia. The court reconvenes a week later on December 27 for sentencing. Federal prosecutors have asked for the act to be categorized as grave and opted for 18 and a half years imprisonment.
Defense lawyers appealed for a reduced sentence citing absence of prior criminal records and the defendants’ admission and apology for the illegal entry.
“They [defendants] also provide support to their aging parents and they serve their sentence in foreign land away from their family,” Sileshi Ketsela, one of the three defense lawyers, told the court in a bid to win a mitigated jail term for his clients.