The bill on hate speech and disinformation was finally approved with majority vote, 23 against, while two abstained. According to the authorities, some of that may have been provoked by hate speech and fake news that fomented ethnic tension and violence. Lawmakers said the law is needed because existing legal provisions didn't properly address hate speech and disinformation and said it will not affect citizens' rights beyond protecting them. Ethiopia has been experiencing sometimes deadly ethnic violence since June 2018, shortly after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced sweeping political reforms for which he later was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Rights groups criticized the new law, questioning the motives behind passing such a legislation.

Source: Ethiopian News February 17, 2020 21:08 UTC