The kangaroo court in Ethiopia today sentenced the elected leaders of Ethiopia to life in prison.
Among those who were sentenced were chairman of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (Kinijit) Ato Hailu Shawel, vice-chair Bertukan Mideksa, secretary general Muluneh Eyoel, and mayor of Addis Ababa Dr Berhanu Nega.
Additionally, Aby Gizaw, Andargachew Tsige, Elias Kifle (Ethiopian Review publisher), Mesfin Aman, and Zelalem Kifle — who were charged and convicted in absentia — are sentenced to life in prison.
The following journalists and Kinijit supporters received lower sentences: Mesifn Jebesa, Berhanu Alemayehu, Wudeneh Jedi, Melaku Oncha, to 18 years each. Abyot Wakjira and and Daniel Berihun to 15 years each. Wenackseged Zelleke (the deputy managing editor of Addis Zena) to 3 years. Dawit Fasil (Serkalem Fasil’s brother) to one year and 6 months.
The court ordered journalists Sisay Agena and Serkalem Fassil to pay upto 120,000 birr in penalty and and shut down their publishing firms.
Judge Adil Ahmed, on behalf of the three-judge panel, said that all those who were sentenced to life are banned from participating in Ethiopian politics in any form. Those who received 18-year or less were banned from politics for 5 years.
Last week, the prosecutor had recommended death penalty.
Adil said that the court decided to rule life in prison instead of death because the Kinijit leaders had only attempted the crimes they were charged with. Since they didn’t succeed, Adil said, they do not deserve death.
For some of the opposition leaders who are 70-year old or more and with poor health (including the 72-year-old chairman Ato Hailu Shawel), life in prison is as bad as a death sentence. Considering the terrible condition at the disease-infested Qaliti jail, even the younger and healthier prisoners will not survive for long.
The Woyanne regime media and Meles Zenawi’s backers at the U.S. State Department may try to spin the life in prison sentence as a better out come than death penalty. But those who have witnessed the suffering of Professor Asrat Woldeyes in jail, today’s court ruling is nothing less than condemning the elected leaders of Ethiopia to death.
Judge Adil said: “The accused have committed serious crimes, which caused the death of civilians and security forces and attempted to overthrow the government. The accused have also failed to present to the court mitigating evidences for the charges brought against them.”
While Adil was reading the decison, Dr Berhanu Nega stood up and started to walk out. Adil said Doctor, we are about to finish, come back. Dr Berhanu complied.
As Adil continued reading, Kinijit vice-chair, Bertukan Mideksa, started to flash “V” sign and the other leaders, including family members, followed suit.
The opposition leaders had refused to recognize the court and did not enter a plea, saying the trial was political.
An independent commission appointed by the parliament had concluded that the 2005 post-election violence was carried out by the Meles regime’s security forces against unarmed protestors and innocent civilians.
.
72 thoughts on “Court sentenced Ethiopian opposition leaders to life in prison”
Dear Ethiopians,
What shall we do? Could we have the ability to endure all such kinds of shameful and disgracing act? It is up to us to decide whether to live for bread or peace of mind. Could we have the temper to tell all our children simply the story? What could be our response if we will be asked of our role?
Thank you,
Thw worst part of the court\’s rulings was to ban these brilliant Ethiopians from engaging in Ethiopia\’s future politics. This is the final nail in the coffin! Ethiopians has finally got only one option: getting ride of TPLF-led government by what whatever means.
Elias,First of all, I really appreciate you for staying up through the night to deliver the news fresh to us.
The death sentence warning was just to divert people attention and made us think the life sentence is fair. we are not any more foolish for woyane. what ever woyane wishes, these brilliant leaders will lead us one day.
victory for Ethiopian people
michael
I read my worst nightmare news this morning at 6:30 am. It is so nard to say anything except crying. What is the things,we can do other than we did before as a supporter of the the prisonet of concience. Please advice us to do any thing to make their fridom come true as the majority of ethiopian wish.
Although not unexpected, the tyrants have once again demonstrated how brute and sensless they are. It might sound good to talk of peaceful means of fighting the injustice that has engulfed the poor nation; today’s lamentable court sentence only pushes people to the brink of looking for means other than the so-called peaceful means.
I mean! Is it fair?
let GOD be with our brilliant leaders who tought ‘WOYANE’ the true democracy and finished thier part and we are greatly HOOOOOOOPFUL TO BE WITH THEM.But for us it is time to confront woyane throt-to-throt, no mercy for unmerceful tyrants, SO ETHIOPIANS PLEASE STAND UP FOR UNITY AND DEMOCRACY AND OUR GOD WILL HELP US.
Since the woyane thugs found the CUD leaders as their unexpected nightmare in the otherwise single-party dominated politics of Ethiopia, it seems that they want these innocent opposition leaders are banned from all political activities in the future so that the theft, cheating, and oppression continues without resistance an unabated. As to the life imprisonment, it is likely that it will serve only as a means of showing magnanimty by the TPLF-lead government, which would soon reduce the life imprisonment through the rubber-stamp parliament and the puppet president to few years in jail or even setting them free on the millenium. The whole drama is, however, children\’s game: the kangaroo court of the criminals passing decisions on the innocents, whose only crime is to struggle for freedom and democracy without guns.
it is the beggning of the end now we have to mobilized our resourses to fight the TPLF mafia gangester in any ways. what am really sad about not on the decition of the TPLF court but the so caled oppostion who fight each other for all times rather than working to free the leades and our contry WHAT A SAHAME ON THEM
well the soloution ../??? Get up, stand up and fight!!!!
Hi,
As expected the court came out! Ethiopian people are not foolish it was well estimated that you would pass these…….but we all shall stand up and fight for our leaders! Woyane it is time you go! you have shown disrespect to all the people’s of Ethiopia! You have disrespected our people when you took away their voice and freedoom! You have abused us enough! Now enough is enough! Noone is going to leave you alone!
Ethiopian people it is time for all of us to pay for our leader’s sacrification, we can’t let them down and eat and pretend like everyting is allright! These people could have lived their life perefectley……..could have had posh life …..and be selfish, they gave up their family, their home, their life to all of us…….we can’t ignore them as if nothing happened and be selfish……we all shall fight for our freedom!
Fellows we can’t ignore the blood of all our wegene that was sacrificed ……. we can’t!
Ethiopian people are not selfish …….that only care about themeselve’s! We will fight woyane! We will fight for freedom and CUD will win
Ethiopia WIll win …….God help us!
Peace to our country and people
Dear Ethiopians, we have to fight Weyane by whatever means. We need a brave leadership to lead us to the bitter struggle yet to come. What more should we expect from Woyane? They are trying to prove that they can do whatsoever they want to.
Under line the fact that the TPLF will always do what it has always been doing in the last 16 years. It came to overthrow the Derg and take its place as a sweat head dictator inorder to perform even more cruelties and gross crimes against humanities. Why should it allow any traces of changes when it has complete monopoly over any and everything? Just to please some one? God forbid!
Even in the future it will play the same dirty inhuman games of torturing, killing, jailing, starving, displacing from homes, communities,country and enriching the world with destitute mass refugees,etc.
You see how the dictator have been playing with the jailed leaders. At first when weakened by the massive rejection of the TPLF and the following mass protest, he accepted negotiated settelements for buying time. This inducates the fact that only power and force determines bends dictators and not at all petty and softy manouverings.
Then when he found the opposition rather soft he rounded them up and thrown them in to jails, claiming that they have committed genocide. While in jail, he promised to release them if only they may confess their none existing crimes against humanity. After extracting what he wanted from the captives, he threatened them with excution. And now finally, he sentences them to life imprisonment with additional conditions that they must be barred from political activities. These are all terrorism par excellence! And we try to get justice by talking talks alone? I wish us all the best!
Enough is enough. we haven been abused, insulted, mocked,tortured, killed, ingored, jailed. Enough is enough!. Freedom needs a sacrifice and this is the time to say Let’s go… This evils need to be brought down in whatever means possible. Time to act for the people of Ethiopia, time to act for each of us. I meant it!!!
No millenium with our leaders in jail.
Tade
People need to realize of what type of mafia group is TPLF. They do not understand the meanning of peacefull strugle. The only thing that they understand is viloence. The only way to get rid of them and save our country is armed struggle. People need to wake up and face facts. People need to do a bite more resurch on what EPPF stands for and rally behind it. Get more information regarding EPPF at http://www.eppf.info/ .
The EPPF way/method is the only way to save our country and our leaders.
Is there any body who can tell me what is going on?
Woyane! Are you playing a child game? The world is civilised and people are experiencing democracy and a lot of developement! You want to take us back to the slavery zemene? What do you think you are doing? First you told us there is democracy you mislead our people……and you put them into jail…..and now you even have the gut to sentence them to life? This shows me how much you have underestimated our people? NO respect?
Are you human being melese zenawi? I honstley dought it? Your level of thinking is very low! Selfish! YOu have stolen now what do you want? I advice you to run in a good time beacuse enough is enough!
Why can’t you do yourself a favour and let our prisoners leave?? we will fight untill the end! Truth will win! Democracy will win!Free our leaders!
People are we going to just sit and watch melese destroy the country just like that?
Yetarik atela melese zenawi? Kuberenetewo…..histroy will never forget you…….you are like hitler!!! you are the worst leader for democracy! you will go down beleive me there is time for evrything
why can’t you just be belete leba and go with whatever you have got? do you think you will live 100 million years……don’t you feel ashamed to live your life with guilt? are not you ashamed to lead the country like this and do injustice all your life and when you die people will always remember you the worst leader? there is no chance again in life! Make it right Melese zenawi!Mene ayenet Yeteregemeke Tehone! Antene Yeweledechise!????????
Shame on you!
Ethiopian people let us fight all these people and free our leaders they gave up everything for us! for freedom! it is time for us to act
Weredete to woyane! i will wait for that
God help us
Dear Ethiopians
Now is the time to take action.Pray for a brave leader like “Meyesaw Kassa”. I don’t know about you but i had enough.
AAU from A.A,Ethiopia
did weyane think our struggle will collapse doing this stupid trial we wittnessed in our history..,. there no point return……….NO RETREAT,NO SURRENDER….
THANKS
Weyane could do any thing possible to halt the people power. This is impossible. The irony is Birtukan Midekissa sets many free and she is convicted. What a miserable failed weyane menatlity?? This is typical dictators behavior that resulted from fear & dispair.
My message to all ETHIOPIANS & Friends is Get up! do what is expected from you. This is not a politcal call.. this is a humanitarian issue. Weyane is abusing its power and no place on earth would accomodate and afford power abusers.
I told my close friends immediately after their death sentence conviction, that the Meles-loyal court would pass a lifetime imprisonment.
I was right to guess what the “Kangaroo Court” had planned.
The kangaroo court has never mentioned or reconsidered the Commissions’ report that excessive force had been used by security forces that led to the killing of around 200 civilians and six policemen.
So, here again the Meles -loyal court defends indirectly his killing order and dismisses the commissions decision.
The banning of the prisoners from not participating in any political platform is a farce.
If they are life imprisoned how on earth could they manage to leading political life!
This is the old boring mechanism of treating politicians or opponents to dismiss their functionality.
The Meles & Co drama took two years to come to its end.
The struggle has to continue vigorously until the prisoners are released. We should not wait until they die in prison. This was a preplanned scheme of Meles and his internal as well as external backers.
Millennium’s Alert!
It is fair ! They refused to recognize the court and behaved in an arrogant and disdainful manner hoping the West incl. Hana Gobeze will TELL Meles to release the Prisoners of conscience ! Lol ! Some of them even dared to say the the Ethiopian Constitution is not even worth of the ink(pen) used to write it ! Well this is the Ethiopian constitution !
VIVA Zenawi !
I agree with you Tadesse,
No millenium with our leaders in jail.
What is to celebrate!!!
This shows that meles and his falsified justic court keep doing murdering innocent political heroes forever, this will be a bad luck to him to be living as a man any entire life in ethiopia. His time is over. meles is killing people,the rest of the world should be familial stopping him.what is ethiopia for meles? what is the people for the killers? God has no mercy for them.history will never forget you. the voice of the killed ones will never let you sleep in peace.meles, the false faced got ready to drink the blood who has been thristy for years.I think meles should put his mind back and start to think like a visible person.people! keep up working for freedom!!!
ONLY ONE QUESTION REMAIN TO BE ANSWERED!!
WHAT SHALL WE DO??
It is fair ! They refused to recognize the court and behaved in an arrogant and disdainful manner hoping the West incl. Hana Gobeze will TELL Meles to release the Prisoners of conscience ! Lol ! Some of them even dared to say the Ethiopian Constitution is not worth of the ink(pen) used to write it ! Well this is the Ethiopian constitution !
VIVA Zenawi !
Let we come to reality this tigrian gangs and their cohorts came by gun and only language that they can understand is to be used them by gun.
What do you expect from Judge Adil Ahmed he is not an Ethiopian
The most embarrassing thing could have ever happened to any country! This is actually an insult to the intellect of Ethiopian people and a joke to the world to see this funny kangaroo. It is indeed embarrassing and degrading to Ethiopians to witness a government officials who openly advocate and proud fought for Eritreans independence. And, now orchestrating a drama like ruling elected officials. It is sad day for Ethiopians; however the justice will prevail soon!
Shame on all of us!
We have been bickering amoung ourselves; we have been silent and gone about doing our own personal businesses…we shouldn’t be surprsied with the outcome of today’s decision. Shame on all of us!
To the so-called Diaspora politicians/opposition members, I tell you this: for God’s sake GROW-UP!
Look yourselves through a huge mirror and ask ‘do they really deserve this?’….SHAME ON YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SHAME ON ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SHAME ON ALL OF US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
look guys i have adream now this is last chance we have to use all resources to fight this bastards woyane bandas guns are the only alternative. leave america they are suffering in iraq they are the one who master mind this atrosity against our leaders god bless ethiopia
hi bothers and sisters every where in the world,now it is time to see what has been done on the best brain of our country.so i think there is nothing left to wait for.we have to ask our self.one question life for what?life of freedem.we have to stand and come together to fight our internal enemy.i.e MELESE ZENAWS govenment.plz..plz…plz.brother.let us gettogether.we have not been colonized even in the last era of colonization .what made us to be under them.if not our silence.it is enoungh to be silent.now it is time to speak.’kalemenager dejazmachnet yikeral”.
It is time to take action. Everyone, everywhere should contribute for our people’s libration in the sprit of the 1997 election when Ethiopians said it is time for freedom. Join an organized body you beleive in & contribute to the strugle!
We shouldn’t wait for any reconciliation gesture from weyanes.
This will be the darkest Ethiopian History ever happened to her.
This is a US, England and some of their allies
Don’t trust particularly the US and Britain. World peace, stability, democracy and development are in danger for many many years because of these two ignorance world enemies and have no idea about the reality what is going on in the world.
I did not know that there are animals who look like human beings.
From the outset the inconsistency in the sentencing is clear where the gudge sentences those he sentenced to life are banned from politics in anyway. How on earth do people in prison participate in politics in the first place. Are they to be freed from prison to lead the people who elected them if they are elected while they are in prison.
It seems the main objective of imprisoning the elected leaders from the out set was to deny them the right to participate in politics. Now the game of clemency/pardon will continue. Be dead sure about this!!!
That is not what the Ethiopian people want. We will fight the Woyane to the end, until they submit to people’s power.
EPRDF dictators are running out of time. They pretend to be strong but, their are eroded and they run out of all lies. We have to fight them with the weapon they fear the most. Peaceful struggle while maintaining our unity.We have to follow suit and keep fighting in a way that our leaders wants us to fight the good fight. The only way for the long run freedom of Ethiopia and all its nationalities.
Brothers & Sisters change doesn’t come by it self,let’s
stand hand in hand as Our Fathers show Us to claim our freedom,liberty,& Our beloved ETHIOPIA!!!
We need to mobilize our people, we need a big media in Ethiopia, we need a big Media in Ethiopia, when? NOW!!!
wow!! i never taught having a briliant mind and challanging the laws that are put out for the people “democraticly” could land someone in prison for life. the only crime this educated ethiopian children comited is they cared for the poor people of ethiopia, and they expressed their r vission of a better ethiopia. the saddest thing is the rest of us failed to show a little bit care for them, we fail to speak up for them, when they suffer, we pretended as if we did not hear or see any thing. now we know that the true ethiopians are going to suffer for life, i wonder what our plan is? are going to keep looking the other way until we hear their death from the prison or are we going rise up and chanllage these blood thirsty beasts and let them know that we stood by our leaders not pupet government.
The EPRDF courtmade a colossal fool of itself by giving sentences of life sentences. Even if they were not set free as they should have been, are the judges so thoughtless and impassionate to impose such heavy sentences because they found the accused ” behind demonstration” etc.
Meles will cut a deal as long as he gets what he really wants: ban the prisoners from further political participation.
TPLF IS GOING FROM BAD TO MAD AND IT HAS TO BE STOPPED!
Dear Kaliti Prisoners,
We most of Ethiopians inside and out side of the country know why the Woyane Government is doing inhuman acts to you. You are so committed to do the right thing for your country and people! Time and again, the Woyane court system and its court actors show that they can only follow what they have been told to do by their masters! No human reactions they have what so ever! In Woyane
What shall we do? It is our turn. We all should think towice.
What a black Monday!
It came out as expected, what else from a Kangaroo court. But the winners are our Kinijit leaders and the Ethiopian people. The Woyane regime shows us its real face.
Dear Ethiopians,Letus save our country and our people.
Now this is the time to dicide what to do.Do or Die.
enough is enough. how could any of us be sleeping while our leaders torcherinig by weyane and by his gourella court. It is time to wake up and confront the weyane regime. no millenium celebration to be held while the true ethiopan leaders are behind bars. which one is more valuable, a couple of trees or dr birhanu or birtikuan. now! now! now! Victory to the people of Ethiopia.
God bless our struggle.
Zinjero meles will be hanged soon. le mayat yabkaw.
Ethiopian: Prisoners of conscience jailed for life
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PRESS RELEASE
News Flash
AI Index: AFR 25/017/2007 (Public)
News Service No: 134
16 July 2007
Amnesty International today expressed dismay at the life sentences handed down to 30 Ethiopian opposition party leaders, journalists and one of the country’s most prominent human rights defenders.
The 30 were also stripped of their right to stand for election or vote.
“On the basis of the information we have, most — if not all — of those sentenced today are prisoners of conscience imprisoned on account of their opinions, who have not used or advocated violence and should therefore be immediately and unconditionally released,” said Erwin van der Borght, Director of Amnesty International’s Africa Programme.
Five exiles being tried in their absence were also sentenced to life. Eight others were sentenced to terms in prison ranging from one to 18 years, following the 14-month-long political trial. All have the right to appeal to the Supreme Court and subsequently for presidential pardon.
Some weeks ago they had reportedly signed an undisclosed statement that was expected to lead imminently to a pardon and political reconciliation with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s ruling party, although the government has not confirmed this.
The trial continues on 25 July for ten others who are presenting a defence, including two civil society activists.
AI regrets that its representatives were not issued with visas they had applied for to enable the organization to observe today’s hearing, but still hopes to observe the upcoming defence case. The Ethiopian Prime Minister had said the trial was open to observers, and an Amnesty International representative had observed part of the trial on two previous occasions.
While Amnesty International reserves its assessment on the fairness of the trial until it is completed and the organization has fuller details of the proceedings, the organization is concerned that some aspects of the trial may not have met recognized international standards of fair trial.
Note to editor:
Amongst those sentenced to life in prison today is the prominent human rights defender Mesfin Woldemariam, a retired professor aged 76, who suffers from a worsening and painful spinal complaint.
For a fuller outline of Amnesty International’s concerns about the case and its background, please see: http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engafr250162007
Public Document
****************************************
For more information please call Amnesty International’s press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566
Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW. web: http://www.amnesty.org
For latest human rights news view http://news.amnesty.org
Look what is going on in Iraq in a country that had a better social structure than in England and US towards the poor and minority citizens. Iraqi people where among the well-educated, cared, richest and happiest people in the world despite Sadam Husien(once was the very best ally to US and Britain in a war against Iran) was there.
Look now what is happening to the people of Iraqi since the US and Britain invasion of oil to that country.
What the very minority leaders (TPLF) doing in Ethiopia ever since started from dedebit is planned and fully supported all along by US and Britain. The shame verdict to imprison the elected, educated, innocent and respected Ethiopian leaders by criminals (TPLF) is the work done by US and Britain behind the curtain. Don’t full yourself. They are orchestrating what is going on in the country with exchange they can do what ever they like against the country.
This world could be a better place if the British and US are not here and there.