VOA Statement on the Detention of its Ethiopia Correspondent
Washington, D.C., May 25, 2012 — “We are aware of reports that VOA correspondent Peter Heinlein was detained today in Addis Ababa. The safety and welfare of our reporters is our utmost concern and we are working to gather more information about Mr. Heinlein’s status. We have been in contact with State Department officials and will release details as soon as they are available. We urge Ethiopian authorities to allow Mr. Heinlein to carry out his journalistic responsibilities without interference.”
The Voice of America is a multimedia international broadcasting service funded by the U.S. government through the Broadcasting Board of Governors. VOA broadcasts approximately 1,500 hours of news, information, educational, and cultural programming every week to an estimated worldwide audience of more than 141 million people. Programs are produced in 43 languages and are intended exclusively for audiences outside of the United States.
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