Begge risikerer lange fængselsstraffe efter dommen, men Sveriges statsminister er oprørt.
Ethiopian troops captured Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye six months ago during a clash with rebels in the East African state’s Somali region, reports BBC online Wednesday.
The court ruled it was “very unlikely” that they had entered Ethiopia illegally only to gather news. Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said they were innocent and should be freed.
Judge Shemsu Sirgaga said Persson and Schibbye had failed to prove that they had not supported terrorism – a decision which human rights groups have slammed as absurd, saying the onus (kernen i sagen) must be on the prosecution to demonstrate the crime was committed instead of the defence proving it was not.
The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) rebel group – which Ethiopia regards as a a terrorist organisation – had arranged the men’s journey from London to Ethiopia, Judge Shemsu said.
They entered Ethiopia illegally under the pretext of investigating the impact of potential oil discoveries, he said.
– Instead they accompanied the ONLF into the country and were caught alongside the rebels. This contradicts their claims. Guilty as charged, period, unanimous vote, the judge said.
Both reporters appeared expressionless at the verdict and it was not clear whether they understood the judge since they had no translator.
During their trial, the journalists admitted entering Ethiopia illegally with the ONLF but denied terrorism charges.
The prosecution has asked for Persson and Schibbye to be sentenced to 18 years and six months in prison.
Since the 1970s, the ONLF has been fighting for the rights of Somali-speaking Ethiopians, who they say have been marginalised by the government in Addis Ababa. One ONLF faction signed a peace deal with the government last year, but another splinter group has continued to fight the army, BBC notes.
