It was a show trial by a hastily formed local Tigrean court that took only a couple of months to hear the case and sentence the suspects to death. More likely all the accused were innocent individuals.
(ST) HUMORA, Tigray — The Tigray regional high court on Thursday passed a death and life sentences over 6 Ethiopian accused of bombing a passenger bus at the northern Ethiopian Tigray regions Humora town on March 13.
Nine civilians were killed and another 31 wounded at the bombing of a bus travelling from Humera to Shira town in northern Ethiopia.
The Temporary High Court which was set up by the regional government for this specific case in its hearing today has found all the defendants guilty. The court sentenced three of death penalty and two others to life imprisonment.
The open court, crowded with some 1000 residents of Humora town sank quiet when the central judge, Abraha Meles, cleared his throat to announce the final sentence over criminals.
“Listening to all the witnesses brought from left and right we have found all the defendants guilty” the central judge, Abraha Meles said. After a short pause he continued “accordingly we have passed a death sentence over 3 defendants namely Birhanu Tesfay, Berihu Legesse and Gebretsadkan Bahta.”
“While the court has passed life sentences to Tesfay Kahsay and Birhanu Welday” judge Abraha added.
Among the defendants Birhanu Kahsay pleaded guilty of masterminding the attacks.
The court has also passed 20 years of prison terms over a town police who cooperated with the perpetrators in negligence to his duty and responsibility.
The defendants were charged with terror acts, treason, plotting attacks, arms smuggling, cross-border attacks, and spying.
The temporary court has earlier sat four times to hear the case.
The court also found that the accused had been in contact to commit more attacks with Eritrean officials.
According to a document read at the court, all the “terrorists” have been receiving orders from Eritrean authorities for attacks and had further plans to destroy 26 electric transformers of Humora town and to carry out attacks over government officials.
Abrehet Belay, relative of a victim and resident of the town after the court closed says that the quick legal reaction Ethiopia took is exemplary.
“The legal action taken in no time over the anti-societies by government is exemplary others should follow against anti-peace bodies and it is a clear warning for other terrorists to refrain from such attacks or face the consequences,” Abrehet told Sudan Tribune.
21 thoughts on “Tigray court sentences three Ethiopians to death”
These judges are probably the same illiterate cadre graduates of Mekelle University Law School that Professor Salisbury, the American teacher, recently described.
ahya le ayha beragete terese aysabereme.
I thought Humera was Gonder?
Because Humera and Welkait people speaks Tigrinya they are in Tigray state now?
Is there any Appeal process at all?
First of all, Humera has never been belong to Tigrai. Therefore, the Tigrians are occupiers of the land which belong to the Wolkaite`s (Gondere`s). From wolkait people point of view, it is all the same whether the person that comes from Eritrea as a terrorist or a person who comes from Tigrai as a new colonialist.
There is no legal court system in Ethiopia. Weyane’s Kangaroo court is nothing but a sham designed to serve their defunct apartheid system of ruling Ethiopia.
When is Ethiopia going to be free from the savage weyane?
This is another woyane’s tactic to kill Ethiopians in the name of justice.
All these are coverup and politically motivated against the people
Shame on you, woyane.
You, Woyane, will payback for all these when the time backs.
I don’t know as to te back grounds of these condemned persons but the irony of the drama is not that they are being condemned but that their operation is badly planned as to get them captured and put in to tha hands of an otherwise blood thirsty pathological killers.
After all they are already looking for some one to be killed. So why leave loop holes or clues in the planning stage of their operation if meant to oppose dictatorship. As for appealing to the heigher Wayane court from the lower Wayane court for getting some sort of justice or reversal decisions amounts for a grilled chicken asking help from a hungry fox against a hungry hyena.Hmm…
appeal? I think you were out of ethiopia long time ago, heheheh
I wonder why you people think TPLF members act like humans! They are beasts and education does not change this fact. There is no proper adjective to describe the self-centredness and selfishness of TPLF and its members. Humera was slashed and given to Tigray to have access to a neighbouring country. Some of the Gonder land is handed over to Sudan. Similar ghastly scenario exists in Oromia as well. The Tigrayans are doing that to create and perpetuate animosity between nations and nationalities and at the same time between countries like Sudan and Somalia against Ethiopia. Their egoism is boundless. They do all these abominable crime assuming they will remain on power eternally!
Justice might not be served in this case however, please let’s not make it sound like Tegrian people passed this judgement. the people who passed this judgement do not represent tegrains, they are the extension of the same dictator that is sitting in addis. If we start to say tigrians did this or Oromos or Amaras, we are just supporting the same principle of division that Woyane is trying to create in Ethiopia. God be with Ethiopia!!!!!
TPLF people are amazing. When it suites them, they take years and years to charge people even with simple crime. In this case, it just took them a month or so to charge, then convicted and pass death sentences. This is a solid evidence for the unjust system of the TPLF. In the lands where law runs supreme, it takes more than a month or two to collect evidences to argue the case in courts, let alone passing death sentence in so short time. Something is terribly wrong with a death-sentence conviction that is given in a lightening speed. Alas! TPLF people defy all logic.
Is Humera Tigrai?
O lord we are waiting another war!! TPLF is plan is to establish Tigrai republic after they rob enough from the rest of Ethiopia. By no means we will surrender Humera Zoo.
Humera, Tigrai??? NO NO NO NO NO NO
I hope they will be granted appeal and due proccess before they face the firing squad. I thought the bombing of the bus at Humera was done by Shabia to retaliate their own loss a month earlier?
This is a simple method weyane uses to eliminate True Ethiopians, who dare to ask questions againist its Ethnic based and narrow minded goverment.
First of all I am very touched the fabricated end less of charges ow weyane, on innocent ethiopians. In addition to that Humera doesnt belong to tigray, Right after weyane took a power they have expanded the region of tigray by taking the region of the other provinces such as wello, gonder and so on for thier own sack. Actually, weyane has taken the best places of furtile from the other provicences. Anyway, let me get back to the point…how long we the people in diaspora would just simply keep counting the crimes of weyane everyday, instead lets bring our unity and stop weyane’s attrocities on our people…again i am very touched by the fack court decission on the innocent civilians. Death…i cant beleive my ears..b/c the people who deserve death penalities are relaxing in arat kilo palace and other best parts of the country while innocent civilians sentenced by death penality…woooooooooooooooooooooo
why do they need to take those ethiiopians to court? did TPLF take 193 ethiopia’s to TPLF’s kangoro court? in the first place do not expect free and fair legal jurdical syetem from the mind’s narrow mind ppl. they do not think about tomorrow and remember before today. only today and today. that is why TPLF has been killing innocent etyhiopians all over the country regardless of their religion and language of ethnice back ground. but there will be a feed back fire later
I am surprized how many Ethiopians seem to be surprized that Weyane has confiscated large land from Begemder, Wollo, Afar kil and of corse if it had its way it would take Assab and make it the port of the Republic of Greater Tigrai. Those Ethiopians who seem to have been hoodwinked into believing that the Weyane work for the interest of Ethiopia, think again real hard for it ain’t over until the fat lady sinks.
Hej;
Why don’t they report the opinion of there lawers. woyanne can enter into gulity even the stone, if he doesn’t like it. Brother I feel sorry I am no more consider woyanne as a human being !
It has just come north; but hundreds and thousands of Oromos have been murdered without even taken to court. It may sound to you an exaggeration but it is an absolute truth.
The Tigrayans on power with their leading personalities are acting like white European colonialists against the people of Ethiopia.
It has been known to very few since the inception of the TPLF when they had called in their manifesto to create a separate nation state in Tigray. That has been put in place by Melese and his cohorts ever since Dadbit created the current junta from Tigray.
The creation of other regions are just a cover to Black Apartheid from Tigray region. A judge currently attested to a meeting in Minnesota that he had seen the cadres of TPLF
are following to put in their practices by referring to Apartheid era notes from Botha’s Government prior to 1994.
wake up welkiete people,if you dont say nothing that means you like what wayane are doing.
the Tplf is responsible for the ware crime, when the time comes you will be surprise, they are going to pay big price including the puppets and the woyane banda those who are facilitating the envision of Wolkit and etc…