An Ethiopian court on Friday, pronounced four bloggers not guilty of terrorism charges after spending 18 months in jail.

The four bloggers, the remaining of a nine – member Zone 9 blogging group that had been very critical of the government, Feature, who were jailed in April 2014, regained freedom along with exiled blogger Soleyana S. Gebremichael.

The case has been widely condemned by rights groups as an assault on press freedom.

A fifth Zone 9 blogger, Befekadu Hailu, was acquitted of terrorism charges but is still being held on charges of inciting violence.

Hailu is expected to secure bail at a hearing which has been fixed for Wednesday.

In July, five other journalists and Zone 9 bloggers who were jailed in the same case – editor Asmamaw Hailegiorgis; freelancers Edom Kassaye and Tesfalem Waldyes; and Zone 9 bloggers Mahlet Fantahum and Zelalem Kibret were released from prison.