On the eve of June 28, 2011, Swedish journalists Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson illegally crossed the border from Somalia into Ethiopia, putting everything in danger. After months of research, planning, and failed attempts, they finally began reporting on how ruthless oil extraction is affecting the isolated and conflict ridden population of the Ogaden region. Five days later, they were wounded and lying in the desert, shot and captured by the Ethiopian army. But when their initial reportage disappeared, another story began. A story about lawlessness, propaganda, and global politics. After a Kafkaesque trial, they were sentenced to 11 years in prison for terrorism. They are not alone. Their fellow inmates are journalists, writers, and politicians who have been persecuted for not surrendering to dictatorship. Their reports on oil turned into stories about ink, and their daily lives turned into fighting for survival in the notorious Caliti prison in Addis Ababa. Exposed to deadly...
