NEW YORK - January 19 - Three journalists, one opposition politician and one other individual, all found guilty of terrorism offenses by an Ethiopian court today, were convicted on the basis of their legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of expression and must be released immediately and unconditionally, Amnesty International said today.

"Amnesty International believes there is no evidence that the three men and two women were guilty of any criminal wrongdoing. We believe that the five are prisoners of conscience, prosecuted because of their legitimate work and peaceful activities," said Claire Beston, Amnesty International's Ethiopia researcher.

"A significant amount of the prosecution's evidence focused on the defendants' reporting of, and alleged involvement in, calls for peaceful protest against the government, said Beston. "Other evidence included articles written by defendants and even articles sent to defendants by other people. This illustrates that free expression has been criminalized in this trial and that criticizing the government is considered a crime."

"These convictions are another sign that individuals who hold different opinions, represent different political parties or attempt to provide independent commentary on political developments, are no longer tolerated in Ethiopia," added Beston.