By Desta Joy
It is no wonder that the possible pardoning of former Derg officials has become a subject of heated controversy among Ethiopians. After all, it is about bunch of people who used (misused) the whole state machinery to brutalize and terrorize the whole country for seventeen long years! After all it is about people who were at the helm of a regime that unsparingly annihilated thousands Ethiopians of all walks of life, probably the summary execution of the top officials of the Imperial regime being the most high profile case. It would be downright wrong, however, to think that the case of those anonymous Ethiopians who were brutally murdered during those trying days is less important.
The vexing question now is whether pardoning those people would be unjust. Some victims’ families (well, if at all there is a family that had not been victimized by the regime) believe pardoning these criminals would be a mockery of justice. Indeed, their pain cannot be overstated. In the nature of things, their opposition to the possible pardon seems to muster sympathy and support. Tekola W. Hagos wrote, with his usual passion and eloquence, but also disturbingly:
[i]n case of those brutal murderers who are under the control of the Ethiopian Government, individuals who had spilt so much innocent blood, execution should be carried out by hanging them from Bole Airport to Meskel Square and also in other Squares, on electric power poles.’’
Such demands are disturbing not because the crimes the convicts are responsible for are any less horrendous, but rather because such kind of punishment serves none of the purposes of criminal punishment, and is, perhaps a little too backward. So, although the author argues otherwise, such vehement desire to see them hanged in public squares are animated by sense vendetta rather than yearning for justice. Yet, it should not be surprising that those who personally witnessed those atrocities feel more strongly towards the perpetrators than those of us who were either not born at the time or were just too young to comprehend what was going on.
Having sad that let me state what I think are critical issues:
1. First, criminal justice is inherently a public affair (not an issue between the perpetrators and victims). It becomes even a national issue when the crime involves not just theft, robbery, or other ordinary crime, but rather genocide (which Derg officials are convicted of) perpetrated by an entire regime over many years practically against the whole nation. My argument is that the crimes committed decades ago had national character. Whether pardoning the convicts (who are ‘vegetating’ in prison anyway) has any national significance at this point in time is something else altogether.
2. Accordingly, it is unequivocally wrong to try to ‘privatize’ the issue. It must be clear to everyone that justice is a function of rules and principles, not feelings (as the writer quoted above has argued). If we are talking about modern criminal justice, the feeling of victims (or towards perpetrators, for that matter) is a completely irrelevant concept.
3. Therefore, the question of whether pardoning Derg officials is just or unjust should be judged based on rules, principles, and its socio-political significance to the nation’s present and future, if any.
(The writer can be reached at [email protected])
18 thoughts on “Pardoning Derg officials: What is at issue?”
Dear DestaJoy:
You have yet to learn the nature of TPLF. I am sure you made the above argument thinking your opinion will change something in one way or another way.
The TPLF initiated the latest drama through its cadre Tagay Paulos to try and test the water. TPLF now is trying to see what kind of political profit it can make out of keeping or pardoning the Derg officials. Plus, now that it has effectively blamed the HaileSillasie regime families for not pardoning, TPLF has managed to create two enemies (families of derg officials and families of imperial officials – and followers of the two), TPLF has nothing to lose.
Instead of getting involved in this lose-lose game, true Ethiopians will do well exposing the fake drama of TPLF. This whole pardoning drama is invented by MELES ZARKAWI and it is intended purely for political purpose. Any Ethiopian who takes position either for or against the pardon is just involving himself in a lose lose situation with nothing to gain.
The reason the wey-anes want to pardon them is by falsly believing that the amara population will support it hence gain some popularity to start another war adventure or something similar!
Tekola’s grusome suggestion of hanging Derg members along the street from Bole Airport to Meskel Square would make Ethiopia a laughing stock in the 21st century. Why should his atrocious suggestion take place in Addis Ababa and not Mekele?
The Derg and TPLF are on the same level in regard to heinous crimes both have committed; the latter is worse in undermining the territotial integrity of Ethiopia and betrayal of vital national inteerests.
This is a very controversial subject, I bet they should finish their prison sentence, justice should be done.
Let’s cut to the chase and ask the following questions:
1) Were the actions taken by the said former Derg officials a commission of crime?
2) Was (is) there a law describing their action crimes punishable by law in place when the said crimes were committed by those officials?
2) Did those officials direct and order killings and jailing of citizens without due process of the law?
3) Did they express any remorse for what they did during the trial?
4) Were they found guilty as charged by the criminal court?
I don’t agree with and recommend the type of punishment perceived by Ato Tecola since I would not even try to envision a 70-year old man’s body dangling on an electric pole anywhere. From what I read in the history of Ethiopia, wasn’t exactly that what Emperors Yohaness, Tewedros, King Henry V, Ivan The Terrible, Saddam Hussein and other alike were doing (sans electric pole except Saddam)? Didn’t the current regime sentence some former pilots to death for bombing civilian targets in Tigray? What happened or what will happen to them? They took orders from their superiors.
It is my opinion that the verdict passed on these officials should be left alone for now. I will not oppose the idea of commuting the death sentences to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole of some of these individuals if they show sincere remorse. That shows our people are inherently magnanimous even to those who killed their husbands, children, wives, kin and kits, and asked them to pay for the bullets used to kill their loved ones if they want their bodies back for burials. And or threw their sacred human bodies to the hyenas. This was what happened.
Come on folks!!! Let’s not get too much carried away with mincing words and splitting hair.
I say let them rote in prison! they are responsible for loss of so many briliant minds and young lifes…so they should pay the price. the mothers who are still crying for wittnessing the death of their beloved childrens should never be forgotten.
In addition, How can a CRIMINAL(WOYANE) who is responsible for killing the entire country can pardon another CRIMINAL. Woyane should consider pardoning the Ethiopian people in General and allow the people to live freely.
MOT LEWOYANE AND BANDAWOCHU!
These former Derg officials were nothing but savage murderers. They should be put to death with out a light of Mercy. This is regardless of the feeling we hold against the current tribal junta. Just because they are currently held by another group of criminals, that doesn’t make them innocent. Lets not forget the genocide and brutal action of these hooligans in their prime days. Lets not forget how they terrorized the whole nation. Finally lets not forget how their action paved the way for the creation and rise of Woyane. Seeking justice needs to be a separate issue from ideology. Punishing this hoodlums is nothing but justice. Lets not complicate a rather obvious issue.
I understand why TPLF wants to undermined the crime that had been done by the derge regime…they want the people of Ethiopia to forgive these murderers in the hope may be one day they will also be forgiven for their Hideous crime.
I would not suggest execution but rather life in prison. Those people murdered a nation, young minds, left mothers to be life long mourners. Made us beggars. They actually put our nation back in to the African Continent of backwardness while we were people of descent culture, tradition, self dignity and early civilization and worst of all, they left us to these hodam parasites. I can never even consider to see people like Col. Tesfaye Woldesilas walking free man, a man who had no regard for human lives, young boys were being murdered in his office compound, young women were raped and murdered right infront of his office, priests were shot on the head, elderly people used to be flogged tirelessly and murdered leaving their children with no parents to look after them while his children were swimming at the Hilton and attending Oxford University, driving cars of prisoners, living in the houses of the murdered and sexually enslaving and later killing the wives these derg officials murdered, if i dare to see these parasite woyannes with the eyes I see the derg, woyannes might look like lesser Angels.I don’t even know how i will react (i know its wrong) if i meet the children of people like Legese Asfaw, Melaku Tefera, God forbid, I may react real bad and even get tempted to knock them out even though I strongly believe its entirely wrong. I won’t say execute them but let God take the justice as He is the One who put them in the hands of parasite hodam hoodlums. Let them have orgy.
1#Tobia,
You have observed the timing and intention of the discussion because the cunning fox Wayane wants that we forget about its evil inhuman activities and rather dance at its own drumming.
From one hand it takes ER to court while on the other hand it is letting us to dance and bicker on irrelevant trivialities just to divert attention while it is robbing directly and indirectly the national bank, the business establishments and all the fertile Ethiopian lands for its corrupt secret bank accounts. We need to get aware and get life and concentrate on our own programs, strategies and action lines, whatever they may be.
Let wayane cadres themselves keep drumming their own drums.
Pardoning Derg officials: What is at issue?
The issue is COMPENSATION!
Weyane is trying to look good at the expense of Ethiopians. Tigryans like all Ethiopians have been affected by Derg officials, but they have power the Ethiopian people have NOTHING. Its easy for a Tigryan to feel to be nice at the expense of Ethiopian blood, after all they are spilling more of it, as they prepare to be nice to Derg officials.
The question is TPLF has ammassed all the economic benefits Ethiopia has to offer, and there is nothing money does not heal, Weyanes have compensated themselves, but the genuine Ethiopians who have lost loved ones have no bread winner left, so their economic existence has been dminished because of Derg Officials. Derg officials are allowed to live and receive “pardon” while the families of victims and physically deformed and psychologically affected Ethiopians remain with the illness and broken spirit Derg officials inflicted up on them.
If Weyane wants to be nice to Derg officials and Ethiopians, she should offer compensation for all victims from EFFORT account and all will be fine. Victims will be happy to let go their feelings as long as they are compensated just like every Tigryan.
this is just another show of attention stealing that woyane is a forgiving regime. the dictators are not that dummy as prof. tecola wrote. it’s a matter of watching their own back/futurity by not applying “cruel-justice” precedence for they might be the next ones on line. it’s not as it seems folks to do as you wish, being particularly from unpopular government of minority.
…while at it let me add few words about a book/ghedli:1, written by a certain alleged woyane opponent (ato asgede) and reviewed none other than prof. tecola, a former coauthors of clilism and who made a name for himself by becoming woyane’s unofficial war propoganda and adviser to its puppets. for some of us who had a dishonor of sharing the bushes with woyanes, the book is a full of misinformations that seems to promate MLLT’s typical old motto “REPEATED LIES MAKES BELIEVABLE”. b/c it’s a simple common sense that does not require military expertise to figue out the truth. infact, had it not been for the vital support of the ELF/EPLF, the history WOYANE:2 would have even tasted the fate of WOYANE:1 of the 40’s. end of nonsense stories!
make no mistake that this book is indirectly dedicated to the non tgrean ethiopians as a message of intimidation and thinking twice before challenging the new sheriffs in town; THE EMPIRORS OF TGRAY(dekialula) for eritreans know them better from infancy and we call such deceptions “RHUQ ADI MEHASEWI/when one lives far away where no body knows him/her tends to exagirate his/her worthiness/resume”!
…while at it let me add few words about a book/ghedli:1, written by a certain alleged woyane opponent (ato asgede) and reviewed none other than prof. tecola, a former coauthors of clilism and who made a name for himself by becoming woyane’s unofficial war propoganda and adviser to its puppets. for some of us who had a dishonor of sharing the bushes with woyanes, the book is a full of misinformations that seems to promate MLLT’s typical old motto “REPEATED LIES MAKES BELIEVABLE”. b/c it’s a simple common sense that does not require military expertise to figue out the truth. infact, had it not been for the vital support of the ELF/EPLF, the history WOYANE:2 would have even tasted the fate of WOYANE:1 of the 40’s. end of nonsense stories!
make no mistake that this book is indirectly dedicated to the non tgrean ethiopians as a message of intimidation and thinking twice before challenging the new sheriffs in town; THE EMPIRORS OF TGRAY(dekialula) for eritreans know them better from infancy and we call such deceptions “RHUQ ADI MEHASEWI/when one lives far away where no body knows him/her tends to exagirate his/her worthiness/resume”!
Death penalty should be abolished in Ethiopia.
If they let them go, the Ethiopian people will do the rest of the job, this leba woyanne, if they do it, its only to let the people kill them. And yes, it will be a good lesson for them because when the time comes, they will face the same street judgment. Let them go free and see you future, woyanne bilo sew demo, midre banda.
# 7 good for you young man/woman , I like too see thoughtful and smart people like you. The rest of you let the woyane savage lead your mind !!!!.
I believe, the Ethiopian people are in a difficult position with regards to the imprisoned Derg officials and Mengistu Hailemariam. This is done deliberately by the current regime in power.
Certainly, all victims of Derg regime want justice to be done. I want to see justice of some kind done too, though I was not a direct victim of Derg regime. If we believe there is constitutional order and law in the land, those criminals should face the justice system. There is no need in extrapolating that.
Here is the difficult situation the Ethiopian people are put by the regime. The regime is not there to deliver justice to the Ethiopian people in the first place. It is a regime people lost trust and confidence a long time ago. Most people believe, any justice delivered by the regime in power is unjust, because the leaders are criminals themselves immersed in human right violation and crime against humanity that is paralel to Derg.
Furthermore, the Ethiopian people have no say or make a decision on the matter or influence the regimes action in any way. For example, people want victims of Derg and others see justice done in Ethiopia or at the International Criminal court (ICC). Unfortunately, as long as Woyane is in power, this will not happen. So far, the regime never asked Zimbabwe government for Mengistu’s official extradition to face. All it did was bluffing about his extradition and facing the court now and then only to fool the Ethiopian people and international community. This is done to obstruct justice, but never intended to serve justice in that country.
The current debate on the release of Derg criminals by pardoning them via religious leaders, the elderly, what ever is nothing but a dramatization of the issue and give it a democratic face by the criminal gang in power in such a way that it fits their agenda.
What the Ethiopian people need to see is a legal justice, be it at the ICC or in Ethiopian courts and not trumpeting about pardoning criminals and all that jazz. Woyane will not allow justice to be done in that country, because it does not believe in democracy and rule of law in the first place and if it does, it is scared history will repeat itself sooner or later.
So, all it does is bluff about bringing Derg criminals to justice (including Mengistu), in the process fool as many people and as many times as possible and make a mockery of justice, buy time and stay in power. That is what it is and it must be clearly understood by all concerned.