The arrest of Birtukan Mideksa was a criminal act in the first place

Ethiopian civic, political, and media groups, as well as activists in the Diaspora held a meeting today and issued the following statement on the release of Birtukan Mideksa:

After holding a sham election in May 2010, and forming a fake parliament and cabinet this week, Ethiopia’s tyrant Meles Zenawi has released Birtukan Mideksa, chairperson of Unity for Democracy and Justice Party (UDJ), today.

It is well known that the regime re-arrested Birtukan Mideksa on December 29, 2008, on the flimsy charge of violating her terms of release by making a public statement that she did not ask for pardon in order to be released from prison in July 2007.

It is also clear that the Meles regime had thrown Birtukan in jail illegally in preparation for the fake election that it planned for May 2010.

Birtukan had languished in jail under inhumane condition from Nov. 2005 – July 2007, and again from Dec. 2008 until this month. Both times her arrest was a criminal act and a violation of the regime’s own constitution, further proving that there is no rule of law in Ethiopia under the Meles regime.

As we prepare to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the massacre of pro-democracy protesters next month, we hold the Meles regime accountable for the illegal detention of Birtukan Mideksa and tens of thousands of other political prisoners in Ethiopia.

We also strongly urge the international community to:

* demand the immediate release of all political prisoners in Ethiopia,
* demand the opening of political space
* urge the regime to respect the rule of law and fully respect human and civil rights, including freedom of association, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press.

We will not rest until freedom and democracy prevails in Ethiopia.

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