Skip to content

Statement by Donald Payne and Ana Gomes on the guilty verdict of Ethiopia’s opposition leaders

Posted on by Elias Kifle

Joint Statement by Congressman Donald M Payne and European Parliament Member Ana Maria Gomes

June 12, 2007 [pdf]

We are deeply shocked and dismayed to hear the guilty verdict of the 38 courageous human rights advocates, elected parliamentarians, and opposition leaders. This decision clearly demonstrates that the judicial process is controlled and managed by the ruling party in Ethiopia.

The verdict by the Court also proves beyond doubt that the Courts lack the necessary and required independence from political influence. These prisoners were deliberately and systematically misled by the Prime Minster’s office that a peaceful resolution was possible. In fact, on a number of occasions we were led to believe that an agreement between the prisoners and the Prime Minister was reached.

We strongly condemn this politically driven and unjust guilty verdict. This kind of authoritarian behavior will only lead to more violence and instability. What crime did the prisoners commit? They ran for parliament and won. Many Ethiopians lost their lives under this regime and many have been tortured while in prison. The Commission of Inquiry that the Ethiopian Parliament established to investigate the June 8, 2005 and November 1-10, 2005 violence, concluded that 193 civilians were killed and 763 injured by government security forces.

This regime not only murdered innocent civilians in the streets of the capital, but also killed prisoners who were locked up in their quarters. According to the Commission, security forces fired 1,500 bullets at prisoners inside the corrugated iron building, killing 17 and injuring 53 prisoners. Now, who is guilty of multiple crimes? The prisoners or the government whose own Commission of Inquiry stated that security forces used excessive force against civilians?

Once again, we call for the immediate release of these prisoners without condition.
_________________________________
Contact: Kerry McKenney
JUNE 12, 2007 (202) 225-3436

12 thoughts on “Statement by Donald Payne and Ana Gomes on the guilty verdict of Ethiopia’s opposition leaders”

  1. A VERY DEEP ANGER IS RUNNING IN MY VAIN EVER SINCE I HERAD THE GUILTY VERDICT. I DETASTED THIS GOVERNMENT. I DON’T THINK I HAVE ENOUGH WORDS TO EXPRESS WHAT I FELT ON THE GUILTY VERDICT.
    ITS A MATTER OF TIME… WE WILL AVANGE WOYANNES IN THEIR OWN WAY…ITS JUST A MATTER OF TIME. I AM SURE ALL WOYANNES WILL FACE JSTICE.
    YOU WILL SEE…

  2. These foreingers are as usual complicating things. As much as I am sad and furious not the shame verdict I don’t want any outside force to run Ethiopia’s affair.Please the honorable outsiders I demand you to take off your hands. We will try our best to handle this matter in our traditional way, Shemgilena and Meheret.

  3. Gobaw,

    Go to the grassland and live with animals as your thinking sounds the same way as animals. You have no idea what is going on here. Do you? You are a primitive thinker.

  4. To Gobaw ( the one who put comment above)

    You are clearly reflecting your woyane or current tigrian atitude , please think like ethiopians,these people are also to tigrians.Whatever woyane or some tigrians do kinigit will never die ,ethiopians will be winner.

  5. Down with Killers.. Down With Meles Zenawi.. he proved himslef as the worst man Ethiopia ever had .. Meles Zenawi will be remembered as the one who destroyed Ethiopia.. Ethiopia never had a leader as cruel, sadist and camouflager as Meles Zenawi is.. what should be understood is the number of killed people is by far incomparable to what the inquiry commission reported.. they r eported only what they could get bold evidence from hospitals an police record only… dear people, don’t forget those killed and whose bodies were ransported and burned in the South East Ethiopia .. time shall come when this worst man in Ethiopia’s ever existance will be judged for his inhuman actions.. The Almighty God helps the helpless

  6. Dear Gobaw,

    I read your comment regarding the foreigners who opposed the Wayanne verdict against the CUD leaders.Please may we differentiate those who really beside us and not.We remember a lot was said against Ana Gomeze because of her firm stand for humanity and justice by EPRDF and its supporters.I wish you stop saying anything specially this lady.Because I know that she has very clear stand against dictators.

    I thank you.

  7. It is really amasing for me to see weyane gamblling against his people cheating everybody killing many and still prepard to kill more.Are this people with their minds?do these people belive as they are immortal? anyway that day will come were melles and his followers will be judged for all those atrocities that they have commited and still preparing to do so.I am getting sick and sick whenever I here about all this nonsence.

  8. Hopefully from now all uprising, killing, destruction of properties and bloodshed that we saw couple of years ago stops. No eritrean agent can escape justice.

  9. There is a well know and famous Amharic saying: Plowing ones country land with ones own Ox.” I am still of the opinion that Foreigners should not dare to involve and over commit themselves in to a socio-political situation which they don’t fully understand. My view as far as this sad court verdict is different.I assume it more explained in terms of the typical Ethiopian psychy called ” Elehe”( snobbish/arrogant/unbending self-righteous). The Government is elehgna, the opposition leaders are elehgna and the judges were equally elehgna. If one thinks the other side to be rude and abrasive the response is often ” elehe”.It is avicious cycle that permeates at every level.So what our foremothers and fathers do is soften the elehgnas through Shimgelena,mekeker, antem-tew anchem-tey and meheret. This is the only way we can bring this matter in to closure. Not through the good congressman Payne or Ms Gomez.

  10. The kangaroo court have sentenced
    not only our leaders,but each one of
    us. This is an insult and degradation
    to al76million Ethiopian citizens.
    Enough is enough how long can we endure
    this brothers and sisters.

  11. Everytime I try to give this goverment the benefit of the doubt, it comes up with something yet again and proves to me that it can not change, it can not be reformed. The only thing these people can be reformed is through the barrel of the gun. We can no longer expect anything good to come out of woyane.

  12. Dear Gobaw,

    But I kindly oppose your stand specially Ana Gomez.The government of Ethiopia was saying something stupid against her repeatedly.Because she tried hard the world to respond EPRDF’s violation of human rights in Ethiopia after the May 2005 Election.But this means or supporting her stand means I am not saying the people of Ethiopia leave their matter to the foreigners to solve. We still need to struggle to bring that.In addition to that do you think it is only unbending nature of either the opposition groups or the government?It is beyond that.I do not know whether
    you accept it or not.I see the EPRDF government has a hidden agenda against Ethiopia.I feel the power is controlled by Shabia’s supporters.If this power is shared to the people of Ethiopia means it will call upon a lot of questions about the illegal decision taken by EPRDF during its time i.e Eritrea’s independence,the sea outlet etc.Shabia does not have room to entertain such questions.If you do that there is no question that you will be killed or jailed.
    I had a lot to say but I better stop here.I am sure you share my idea .

    Wish you all the best.

Leave a Reply