(AFP) – AN Ethiopian Woyanne kangaroo court has sentenced to death five top military officers of former Marxist ruler Mengistu Haile Mariam, for air raids that killed hundreds in an open market in 1980.
The state-run Ethiopian News Agency said the five officers were sentenced for the raid at Hawzen, along with five others given life sentences and four given terms of 19 years. All were tried and sentenced in absentia.
Ethiopian Air Force officers were [falsely] accused of bombing Hawzen in the northern Tigray region, killing hundreds of civilians on a market day on June 23, 1980, prosecutors said.
Ethiopia Woyanne has been trying former officials of Mengistu’s regime for the past 14 years for horrific killings carried out under his rule.
Most are in exile after rebels including the current prime minister, Meles Zenawi, overthrew him in 1991. Mengistu fled to Zimbabwe, where he lives in luxury under the protection of President Robert Mugabe.
The same court in January 2007 sentenced Mengistu to life in prison for killings thousands of people during his 17-year rule which included famine, war and purges including the “Red Terror” slaughter of suspected opponents.
Prosecutors have said his sentence was not commensurate with his crime and appealed for a death sentence in May. The court is expected to hear the appeal this year, but Mengistu is not likely to face justice.
7 thoughts on “Military officers sentenced to death”
Fellow, citizens
Please see Ethiopian history 150years back who kill our
dignity was “HODAM BANDA” here we have to wake up and see
who is in power? with whom working? where they were?
their background not only their ethnic but their interest
must be evaluated. do we believe woyane to be where he is now was alone or those people in different position were helped him? don’t point in one side every individuals especially so called educated are responsible for Ethiopia to be failed land-locked boundary peace,destitute and no unity stop” yetemare Yegdeleg” teach your people to realize
empowerment say no…..enough is enough….don’t kill is not the time of revenge is excuse and show if you are better example of the new era unless the time will come no one is for ever. MY WONDERFUL CUNTRY ETHIOPIA WILL REMAIN
JUST A COCIETY. I CONDEMNED DEATH PENALITY!!!!!!>>>>
woyane ahunem bekah kaltebale eyandandun ethiopiawi lematfat wedhuala ayelem ena eyandandu ethiopiawi kaltenesa liyatefachehu mehonun mawek alebacehu. Zarem negem ergeman ayeseramena ebakachehu enenesa ergemanena yewereket nebir bich mehone menem lewt ayametam. Woyane ke adis abeba kalweta agerachen Ethiopia mebetatenewan anersa.
beawraga behaymanot bezone kefaflo edmewin lemarazemena ethiopian lemebetaten yemayadergew neger yelem. ebakachehu ineneshaingi, metun gedelun iyalen chuhet aybegim ininesa intatek beselam blo neger yelem gize sirezim hamotatchinin yakolasewal
It is long overdue that those who murder, imprison, rape and torture innocent Ethiopians face the justices including the most notorious criminals in Ethiopian history: Weyane and Derg. I believe this is only a fair thing to ask and strive for.
Bekel
እንደዚህ አይነት ቀልድ አይቼ አላውቅም ፤የዛን ጊዜው ጦርነት ፤ኢትዮጵያን በማዳን እና ኢትዮጵያን ለማጥፋት በወሰኑ ሃይሎች መካከል የነበረ መሰለኝ፡ማን ፍርድ እንደሚያስፈልገው ጊዜ ያወጣዋል፤ጀግኖቹ አየር ሃይሎች ግን ስማችሁ ምን ጊዜም ከምንም በላይ ሲጠራ ይኖራል።
April 6th, 2008 at 2:09 am
ethiopianoch simaru hodam ena rase wodade selemihonu le beadan ketergna bemehone hagerachewu yatefalu. these what we have seen for more than years.
Yekerbelen,let me tell you what my father told me.Atse Hile Selassie wanted to send 500 students to study abroad.Etege menen wanted 250.Ras Kassa was asked his opinion.He said”ye Menen beza,ye Teferem tenzaza,50 ayebekum temerew semetu egne lemesdeb”
It will be surprising to learn that there are “Ethiopians” who deny the Hawzen Mass killing.They did what they were openly talking about: “asawun lematfat bahirun madreq” Whereas I am of the conviction that a fresh killing can never be a solution to a previous killing, denying the massacre-to me- means different.