Johan Persson (L) and Martin Schibbye (R) could face up to 15 years in prison
An Ethiopian court has convicted two Swedish journalists of supporting terrorism.
Ethiopian troops captured Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye
six months ago during a clash with rebels in the East African state's
Somali region. The court ruled it was "very unlikely" that they had only entered Ethiopia illegally to gather news.
Ethiopia regards the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) rebel group as a terrorist organisation.
Judge Shemsu Sirgaga said the group arranged the Swedes' journey from London to Ethiopia, with stop-overs in Kenya and Somalia, the AP news agency reports.
'Expressionless' "Guilty as charged, period, unanimous vote," the judge is quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.
"They have shown that they are esteemed journalists, but we cannot conclude that someone with a good reputation doesn't engage in criminal acts."
Persson and Schibbye were charged under Ethiopia's anti-terrorism law and could be jailed for up to 15 years.
During their trial, they admitted entering Ethiopia illegally with the ONLF but denied terrorism charges.
The court will sentence the two next week.
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.
Human rights groups have repeatedly accused the government of widespread atrocities in the Somali-speaking region, where journalists need permission to travel.
Source:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16283332
