Ethiopian prisoners
Sir: With reference to Christopher Howse's article (Princesses in Prison', 19 March) and the letter of the Hon. Secret- ary of the British Horn of African Council, I should like to remind your readers that the Writers in Prison Committee of Inter- national PEN has been working for years to try to obtain the release of a woman journalist: Mrs Martha Kumsa, now start- ing her ninth year in Addis Ababa Central Prison.
Collective guilt, as applied to the unfor- tunate members of the former Emperor's family, is contrary to the provisions of international law and to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Collective guilt is equally – illegally – applied to our journalist colleague, who is being punished because she is the wife of her husband who fled abroad in 1978.
The Ethiopian authorities have repe- atedly stated that the matter is being looked into and will soon be resolved but in spite of promises and National Days there has been no change in the situation of any of the unfortunate women.
K.V. Simson
Corresponding Secretary, Writers in Prison Committee, International PEN, 38 King Street, London WC2
Previous page
