Zelalem Kiberet

Kiberet is one of the Zone 9 Bloggers, a group formed in 2012 to publish political commentary online in the face of tightening restrictions on expression. Following his initial arrest in 2014, he was released in 2015. He and fellow bloggers faced terrorism charges that were later dropped. Their arrests drew widespread condemnation from international human rights groups, who cited the case as an example of Ethiopia's suppression of freedom of expression. Kiberet’s involvement in Zone 9 helped raise awareness about the risks digital activists face in authoritarian regimes.