Journalist Collins Juma Osemo alias Yassin Juma has been moved to a government isolation facility, Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed.
This was after the freelance journalist tested positive for the novel COVID-19 a week ago at Sostegna Police Station.
In a tweet, the ministry confirmed that the journo had been set free.
“Kenya Embassy in Ethiopia has managed to assist Collins Juma Osemo alias Yassin Juma, Kenyan journalist arrested in Ethiopia, to move to government manage isolation facility after he tested positive to COVID-19 at Sostegna police station where he was held until yesterday,” the tweet read.
Kenya Embassy in Ethiopia has managed to assist Collins Juma Osemo alias Yassin Juma, Kenyan journalist arrested in Ethiopia, to move to government manage isolation facility after he tested positive to COVID-19 at Sostegna police station where he was held until yesterday. pic.twitter.com/IaeK4YNuwn
— State Department for Foreign Affairs | Kenya (@ForeignOfficeKE) August 20, 2020
On Tuesday, Ethiopia’s Federal Attorney General’s office ordered for the immediate release of the Kenyan national who has been incarcerated for close to two months.
Speaking to the Nation, Mr Juma’s lawyer Abdulletif Amee said that the AG’s office said that his client was arrested due to language barrier. However, Mr Amee felt that ‘language barrier’ was only an excuse to escape liability.
“According to the Office of the Attorney General, Juma was detained wrongfully because of language barrier. Is it convincing enough to say he was detained because of misunderstanding? Is that a tactic to escape from liability?” posed Mr Amee.
Mr Juma had earlier on been released by the Lower Court and the High Court, but Ethiopia’s public prosecutor insisted on the case, asking for 15 more days to “conclude investigations”.
Juma was arrested on July 3 in the house of prominent Ethiopian media mogul Jawar Mohammed and is accused of crimes related to subverting authority.
He is also accused of fueling violence following the assassination of popular Ethiopian musician and activist Hachalu Hundessa.
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