Temesgen Desalegn was the Chief Editor of Feteh, which was created in 2008 until its closure by Ethiopian authorities in 2012.
10 Facts About Temesgen Desalegn
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Temesgen Desalegn was imprisoned for 7 months at the Kilinto prison and released with bail in November 2022.
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Temesgen Desalegn was freed after three years of imprisonment in mid-October 2017.
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Temesgen Desalegn was then admitted to hospital due to severe back pain.
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On 4 May 2012, Temesgen Desalegn was found guilty of contempt of court after Feteh published the full text of a courtroom statement by independent journalist Eskinder Nega, who was on trial for terrorism charges.
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Temesgen Desalegn was given a suspended four-month prison term and a 2,000 birr fine.
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The UK-based anti-censorship organization Article 19 issued a statement in support of Temesgen Desalegn and called for the charges to be dropped.
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Eskinder Nega 8.
The organization described the arrest as "a worrying signal that the government intends to carry on targeting dissent", stating that Temesgen Desalegn appeared to have been arrested "for exercising his right to freedom of expression in advocating for peaceful protests to take place, among other criticisms of the government".
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The charges against Temesgen Desalegn's publisher were dropped, but Temsegen stated it was uncertain when Feteh would be able to restart publishing.
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Temesgen Desalegn stated that one printer had stated it had been ordered by the Ministry of Justice to no longer print Feteh.