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1 | Befeqadu Hailu: An Ethiopian Writer Who Refused to Remain Silent | Befeqadu Hailu: Mpanoratra Etiopiana Tsy Manaiky Tampenam-bava |
2 | Asmamaw, Befeqadu (middle) and Edom participating in a race organized in Addis Ababa. | Asmamaw, Befeqadu (eo afovoany) sy Edom mandray anjara amin'ny fifaninanana hazakazaka nokarakaraina tao Addis Ababa. |
3 | Photo courtesy of family. | Sary avy amin'ny fianakaviana. |
4 | In April 2014, nine bloggers and journalists were arrested in Ethiopia. | Tamin'ny Aprily 2014, bilaogera sy mpanao gazety sivy no nosamborina tao Ethiopia. |
5 | Several of these men and women had worked with Zone9, a collective blog that covered social and political issues in Ethiopia and promoted human rights and government accountability. | Maro tamin'ireo lehilahy sy vehivavy ireo no niara-niasa tamin'ny bilaogy iombonana Zone9 izay nitatitra momba ny olana ara-tsosialy sy ara-politika ao Ethiopia ary nampiroborobo ny zon'olombelona sy ny fandraisana andraikitry ny governemanta. |
6 | And four of them were Global Voices authors. | Mpanoratra ato amin'ny Global Voices ny efatra amin'izy ireo. |
7 | In July 2014, they were charged under the country's Anti-Terrorism Proclamation. | Tamin'ny volana Jolay 2014, voampanga teo ambanin'ny Fanambarana Manohitra ny Fampihorohoroana ao amin'ny firenena izy ireo. |
8 | They have been behind bars ever since, their trial postponed time and again. | Niakatra fitsarana izy ireo nanomboka teo ary nahemotra foana ny fotoam-pitsaran'izy ireo. |
9 | This marks the fourth post in our series - “They Have Names” - that seeks to highlight the individual bloggers who are currently in jail. | Manamarika ny andian-dahatsoratra faha-efatra avoakanay ity - “Manana Anarana Izy Ireo” - izay mikasa hanasongadina ireo bilaogera tsirairay any am-ponja amin'izao fotoana izao. |
10 | We wish to humanize them, to tell their particular and peculiar stories. | Maniry hanome lanja ny maha-olona azy ireo izahay mba hilaza ny tantaran'izy ireo manokana sy ny fidirambolany. |
11 | This story comes from Nwachukwu Egbunike, a Nigerian poet, writer, and blogger who has worked with Global Voices since 2011. | Avy amin'i Nwachukwu Egbunike, poety Nizeriana, mpanoratra ary bilaogera miara-miasa ato amin'ny Global Voices nanomboka tamin'ny 2011 ity tantara ity. |
12 | Befeqadu Hailu is an Ethiopian writer who could not quiet his conscience in the face of brutality and human rights violations in his country. | Mpanoratra Ethiopiana tsy afaka hampangina ny feon'ny fieritreretany eo anatrehan'ny herisetra sy ny fanitsakitsahana ny zon'olombelona ao amin'ny fireneny i Befeqadu Hailu. |
13 | For this, he is currently in behind bars. | Noho izany, any an-tranomaizina izy amin'izao fotoana izao. |
14 | His novel, Children of Their Parents won the 2012 Burt Award for African Literature. | Ny tantara noforoniny, Children of Their Parents [Zanaky ny Ray Aman-dReniny] no nahazo ny loka 2012 Burt hoan'ny Literatiora Afrikana. |
15 | He also writes poetry. | Manoratra tononkalo ihany koa izy. |
16 | It seemed only natural that his passion found visible expression in blogging, and that he became a co-founder of the Zone9 bloggers collective. | Hany ka toy ny mandeha ho azy raha hita amin'ny famahanam-bolongana izay fankamamiany izany sy ny nahatonga azy ho mpiara-manorina ny famahanam-bolongana iraisana Zone9. |
17 | Using the Internet, Befeqadu personified those eternal words of the grandfather of African literature, Chinua Achebe: “an artist, in my understanding of the word, should side with the people against the Emperor that oppresses his or her people.” | Tamin'ny fampiasana ny Internety, nataon'i Befeqadu ho velona ny teny tsy tontan'ny elan'ny raiben'ny literatiora Afrikana, Chinua Achebe hoe: “ny artista, amin'ny fahazoako ny vomabolana, dia tokony hijoro miaraka amin'ny vahoaka manohitra ny Amperora manao tsindrihazolena ny vahoakany.” |
18 | For doing this, Befequadu was deprived of his freedom. | For doing this, Befequadu was deprived of his freedom. |
19 | Befeqadu and eight others have been charged with terrorism and incarcerated since April 2014. | Befeqadu sy ireo valo hafa dia ampangaina ho manao fampihorohoroana ary hofonjaina hatramin'ny Aprily 2014. |
20 | But the real wrongdoers are his jailers: a repressive government that forbids critical dissent. | Saingy ireo mpanao ny tsy mety no mpampigadra azy: governemanta mandrara feo manivaka. |
21 | That is indeed the great crime of Befeqadu and his colleagues. | Izay indrindra no heloka lehiben'i Befeqadu sy ireo mpiara-miasa aminy. |
22 | They refused to conform to the norm of silence. | Tsy manaiky hanaraka ny fenitra hangina izy ireo. |
23 | This trait is obviously innate in any writer, that compulsion not to keep quiet. | Tsy mila ampianarina ny mpanoratra rehetra izany toetra izany, dia ny adidy tsy hangina. |
24 | The poetry in Befequadu's veins could not be bottled by state intimidation or stifled with the bars in a jail. | Tsy azon'ny fandrahonan'ny fanjakana tampenana anaty tavoahangy ny poezia ao amin'ny lalandran'i Befequadu na ampanginin'ny baravin'ny tranomaizina. |
25 | Writing from prison, Befeqadu's strong and unbending will to stand for the truth remains unbroken. | Manoratra hatrany am-ponja, tsy mety vaky ny faniriana matanjak'i Befeqadu tsy azo avily lalana. |
26 | In a letter describing his experiences over the first few months of his incarceration, he described repeated interrogations that he underwent in which authorities asked him, “so what do you think is your crime?” | Tao amin'ny taratasy iray mamariparitra ny zavaniainany tao anaty volana vitsivitsy namonjana azy, lazalazainy ny famotopotorana miverimberina zakainy amin'ny manampahefana manontany azy hoe, “ka inona izany no ieritreretanareo ny heloka nataonareo?” |
27 | He mediated on this question: | Nampitainy io fanontaniana io: |
28 | “So what do you think is your crime?” | Ka inona izany no ieritreretanareo ny heloka nataonareo? |
29 | The question is intriguing. | Mahalasa saina ny fanontaniana. |
30 | It sheds light on our innocence, on our refusal to acknowledge whatever crimes our captors suspect us of committing. | Manome hazavana amin'ny mahatsy manatsiny anay izany, amin'ny fitsipahanay tsy hanaiky ny heloka hiahiahian'ny mpisamboatra anay. |
31 | Yes, they probed us severely, but each session ended with same question. | Henjana ny famotopotorana ataony aminay, fa miafara amin'io fanontaniana io hatrany ny fanadihadiana tsy mitsahatra ataony aminay. |
32 | The investigation was not meant to prove or disprove our offenses. It was meant simply to make us plead guilty. | Tsy natao hanaporofoana ny heloka vita na tsy vitanay ny fanadihadiana fa natao hahatonga anay hanambara tena ho meloka fotsiny. |
33 | After two years of writing and working to engage citizens in political debate, we have been apprehended and investigated. | Taorian'ny roa taona nanoratanay sy niasanay hampiditra ny olompirenena ao anaty adihevitra politika, dia nosamborina sy nohadihadiana izahay. |
34 | Blame is being laid upon us for committing criminal acts, for supposedly being members and “accepting the missions” of [opposition political parties]… […] | Treronina izahay ho nanao heloka bevava, ho lazaina fa mpikambaa sy “nanaiky ny iraka” nampanaovin'ny antoko mpanohitra… |
35 | No matter what, boundaries exist in this country. | Tsy maninona, mbola misy fefifefy eto amin'ity firenena ity. |
36 | People who write about Ethiopia's political reality will face the threat of incarceration as long as they live here. | Rahonana higadra izay olona miresaka ny zavamisy ara-politika momba an'i Ethiopia raha mbola monina ao. |
37 | We believe that everyone who experiences this reality, dreading the consequences of expressing their views, lives in the outer ring of the prison - the nation itself. | Mino izahay fa miaina izany zavamisy izany ny rehetra, matin'ny hetahetan'ny fiantraikan'ny fanehoana ny fomba fijeriny, miaina ao amin'ny faritra hafan'ny fonja - dia ny firenena mihitsy. |
38 | That is why we call our blog Zone9. | Izany no antony niantsoanay ny blaoginay hoe Zone9 |
39 | The weight of that question: “so what do you think is your crime?” and the corresponding response shed light on the irony of the jailer (held captive only by fear) and the jailed (who possesses interior freedom). | Ny fandanjalanjana izany fanontaniana izany: “ka inona izany no ieritreretanareo ny heloka nataonareo?” sy ny valiny mifandraika amin'izany fanontaniana izany no manome hazavana ny toerana mampihomehy misy ny mpanagadra (mbola voagadran'ny tahotra) sy ny gadraina (manana fahafahana ao anatiny ao). |
40 | In the words of Wole Soyinka, “books and all forms of writing are terror to those who wish to suppress the truth.” | Ao amin'ny tenin'i Wole Soyinka, “ny boky sy ny karazam-panoratana rehetra dia fampihorohoroana hoan'ireo izay maniry ny hanafoana ny fahamarinana.” Ay am-ponja i Befequadu satria nanoratra hoe : |
41 | Befequadu is in jail because he writes. | Fanoritana nomerikan'i Befeqadu Hailu nataon'i Melody Sundberg |
42 | Digital drawing of Befeqadu Hailu by Melody Sundberg | Manofahofa tantara tsy filaza Manandratra tantara tsy fandre Mitabataba feo nohanihaniana Manompo feo misandratra |
43 | From the four compass points From sun's rising to its setting From the Atlantic to the Sahara Let a mighty echo arise, #FreeZone9Bloggers! | Avy amin'ny vazantany efatra Avy amin'ny fiposahan'ny masoandro ka hatramin'ny filetehany Hatrany Atlantika ka hatrany Sahara Avelao ny ako matanjaka iray hiposaka #AvotsotyBlaogeraZone9 |