(Tamagn Beyene, left, and Sisay Agena in one of their shows at ESAT)
ESAT News (July 6, 2016)
Exiled journalist Sisay Agena and Tamagn Beyene, an activist and a well-known critic of the Ethiopian government, wrote an open letter to the security chief, Getachew Asefa following intimidation against their family back home in order to silence their criticism of the government.
In a joint letter released on Tuesday, Sisay and Tamagn, who now live in exile in the United States, wrote that agents of the regime and operatives of the Security and Intelligence Service paid a visit to their respective families on June 29, 2016, and offered bribes and made threats in what they called “an attempt to stop us from our efforts to bring freedom to our country.”
“We are well aware that our everyday effort to realize our dream of having a free country would not be welcomed by the powers that be in Ethiopia; but we have never expected that your intelligence and security operatives would pay a visit to our family back home to threaten them or offer enticements so we would stop our struggle,” said the joint letter.
Sisay, managing editor at ESAT and producer of several programs, is known for his sharp criticism of the tyrannical regime back in his country, which is known to be one of the world’s worst human rights violators and top jailers of journalists. He was in and out of jail for several years before he was finally forced into exile.
A former comedian known for his wit and a man who once dominated the stages of theaters in his homeland, Tamagn Beyene left his country two decades ago. But having seen the sufferings of his fellow Ethiopians at the hands of tyrants, he decided to use his influence and skills to be a voice to the voiceless. He also runs a weekly talk show at ESAT.
“Threats against our families, holding them hostages and presenting enticements would not in any way stop us from our struggle for freedom,” their joint letter said in conclusion.