Freedom for his homeland. That’s the dream of Ethiopian journalist Fasil Yenealem. From a ramshackle self-built studio in Amsterdam, he strives to do what he can no longer do from Ethiopia: deliver independent news to his country.
The Ethiopian government keeps a tight control on the country’s media, and it’s almost impossible to access reliable information. Fasil’s criticism of Prime Minster Meles Zenawi led to a prison sentence in 2005, and he fled to the Netherlands in 2007. Once here, he established Ethiopian Satellite Television (ESAT) to continue his work. His efforts saw him sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia by an Addis Ababa court earlier this year.
Fasil gathers his information from sources within Ethiopia and operates without any sort of government support. ETA survives mostly on donations from other Ethiopian exiles. He is convinced of the vital importance of freedom of expression and believes this will one day be possible in Ethiopia. Fasil is not sure he’ll live to see it himself, but he's confident others will pick up the struggle where he leaves off.
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