Swedish journalists Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson will not appeal their Ethiopian court sentences. Instead the pair now hopes to be pardoned by the Ethiopian government.
- There is a tradition of pardons and forgiveness in Ethiopia and we have decided to trust in that tradition, wrote the two men in a statement.
The Swedish embassy told SR that it will continue its dialogue with the Ethiopian government. Anders Jörle from the foreign ministry's information service told Dagens Nyheter (DN):
- We will continue to give support and the aim is to have the two Swedish journalists released.
The two journalists were arrested in July after they entered the Ogaden region from Somalia with ONLF fighters. In late December an Ethiopian court sentenced the two men to 11 years in prison for supporting terrorism and entering the country illegally. The sentence, which begins on Wednesday, received strong criticism both in Sweden and internationally.
According to DN, to initiate the pardoning the process Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson will have to write a letter to Ethiopia's prime minister Meles Zenawi. In this letter they will have to confess and apologise for entering the country illegally and being in contact with the ONLF.
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