The Amnesty Board led by Woyanne Minister of Justice Assefa Kesito visited the jailed leaders of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (Kinijit) yesterday at Qaliti prison.
The purpose of the visit, according to the Board, was to verify that the signatures on the “pardon” letter belong to the prisoners.
The Kinijit leaders in Qaliti prison, who saw the Board’s effort as a further attempt at humiliating them, didn’t welcome the visit.
The state-run Ethiopian TV reported that the Amnesty Board, after verifying that the letter was authentic, has submitted to President Girma Woldegiorgis a recommendation for full amnesty to the 38 opposition leaders and journalists out of the 71 who signed the pardon letter.
The Amnesty Board said that it was unable to review the pardon request from the other prisoners since their case is still going through the court system.
The 300lbs wheelchair-bound president is said to be a puppet of Meles Zenawi, and that the decision has already been made for him.
The “President” is expected to announce the decision today.
.
46 thoughts on “Amnesty Board visits jailed opposition leaders”
Even the “Ferenj” Tourists know the Drama being played in Ethiopia.
“No man is good enough to govern another man without his concent”
Ab Lincoln
The Ethiopian people know what the truth is. In one way another ,we want our leaders to be out of jail ,then time will show who will be in jail in real justice.
Kinijit hiwet new
Ethiopia will prevail
WTF!
Every now and then we hear a new board in ethio gov’t. interesting!!!
If the CUD leaders sign this pardon request, they will have no political relevance any more. What a shame!
“The Kinijit leaders in Qaliti prison, who saw the Board
I read the pardons litter signed by Eng.H.Schawul.
If that litter is true,why they stayed so long in kalete prison ?
You made me laugh
“The 300lbs wheelchair-bound president”.
The president is a robot operated by the weyane cirme-minister Meles Zenawi.
LONG LIVE WOYANNE !!!
DOWN WITH ANTI-WOYANNE !!
The episode of the drama is still on the play.
The outgoing “President” will announce the decision of the Amnesty today?
Let us wait and see. It is a matter of few hours.
The chameleon group is also watching what is going on in Washington until the outcome of HR2003.
They are afraid of that bill, not the Ethiopian people. They rely on their machine guns to darken the democratic movement.
I think the US government is aware of the treachery action of the Meles regime.
Meles & Co has to give in and come to reconcillation forum.
Shame to the donners and the world community who put the innocent Ethiopian through hell.
Ethiopian shall over come with the help of God
Shame on you all weyanes supporters, how can you be with murders? Please use your mind. You can’t love your party over Ethiopia. First Ethiopia. Then party comes. The time is near for weyanes to be punished.
God Bless Ethiopia!
The MEDIATION took momentum between the time period of conviction and sentencing. Although the sentencing took effect consistent with the law under conviction in the absence of defense, THE ETHIOPIAN PARDON BOARD will hopefully make it a priority to respect and restore their provoked THEIR BASIC RIGHT TO VOTE at the very least. If not, the implication will be very appaling and trigger a new cycle of bitter hostilty among Ethiopins and may also be denounced in the views of world opinion on Democracy.
Looking for ward for their release soon,
Peace!
Zelalem!
All this rubbish comment based on information provided by the perrenial lier TPLF?
You must be one naive blogger or an agent provacteur of the child killers.
Folks:
The thief, the killer, the police, the judge, the ruler,the board, the spy, the lier, etc. are all one and the same in a one man rule dictatorship. Dictatorship and dictators are single hydras with many heads just for bitings and swallowings for the benefits of a single body. Ancestor’s sayings, “Abbatu dagna lijuu qamagna,” perfectly applies here.
That is exactly what PM Meles is all about. The so called democracy, judiciary and Amnesty board farce and tragic comedy acrobats is only to fool the enslaved Ethiopians and the world public opinion with the help of Mr.Bush who is relieng on the help of a gang committed to promote flagrant human rights violations.
Meles’s TPLF private mercenary gangmen need to manufacture continous imaginary enemies whom they also need to label and equate as enemies of Mr. Bush so that they can play with two cards and keep power and money for the development of killing fields and concentration camp expansions for the wretched. Shame!
If Assefa Kesito wants to verify the autenticity of the letter he should have asked Bereket,the man who organised the forgery of the signature.Anyhow, woyanne is defeated because of Ethiopians and outside pressure.It is time to think seriously for Meles supporters.
I agree with some of your comments above. I am sad that CUD leaders finally show they lost the hope..the struggle and the fight. I will take this signatures a total win for Woyanne/Meles and Co. I am not here to judge them here sleeping on acomfortable bed and eating 3 meals (that is obvious truth) on the other hand they suffered the last 20months sleeping rough and most of them with old age sickeness and ou name it.
But Why they signed this statement if they are really ready to die for their stand? for truth..for the people of Ethiopia. At first I thought what they have signed is accepting partial responsibility and also they will be protected from going to court on what happened on post election disturbances (did I misheard something here or these journalists are telling the world something that has never been on the plate).
As Zelalem said (above) most of the CUD leaders are above 70 and may be will die soon from natural causes, I was always praying that NO one is dying while in prison (before the court senetence). It would have been very sad for all Ethiopian people, now they are coming out…but will the fight for democracy will continue? it will be a wait and see. May God Bless Ethiopia
Zelalem….. ..it looks like that you are a horse of Lucifer….Now we know how you guys are working………. Those jailed Ethiopians are not there for their own selfish desires…everybody knows that…….
It is high time that the Ethiopian people know your surreptitious villifications that you will not prevail no more. We are not ignorant of your scheme…..just as we are not of Satan
Just like your father Satan you came to kill, steal, and destroy…
Every Eritrean and Ethiopian is hopping the Asmara dictator ‘ll do the same for the G-15, the 20 jornalists and the Tens of Thousands Eritrean Political Priosners;for whowm the World has forgotten while they are still in the ERITREAN GULAG for the last SIX YEARS AND A HALF.
This is the lost soul!! This is the lost generation!! Forgive them Father, Forgive them they don
Dear zelalem please read this.No need to be emotional and what was the reason for the demonstration on Monday. Was it not to ask for them to be released? Also please select words when writing on such issues. I don’t want to repeat what you said but is a shame,so to say.
Ethiopia – CUD
Zelalem, In the first place, it is too early to conclude on the issue. But most importantly, who are you to claim a moral high ground to comment on them? I would argue these leaders have paid what they had to. In the short run, we as a people are defeated. Democracy is defeated. But in the long run, the debt that has to be paid with arrears and high interest goes to Woyane. My problem is the apparent failure by eprdf to understand the fact that every positive step they could make towards a common destiny would credit them eventually offsetting their debt!!
I wish they stayed in prison the rest of their life than humiliate themselves this way. Suppose they are out. What miracle are they going to perform for the people other than eating their beloved kitfo? And of course giving the killers a better ride and picture?
If they are released this way, it will be another setback for Kinijjit! Wait and see.
I loved drama since my childhood.But this one is silly and tooooooo looooooong.
Zelalem, Sileshi and Demsash,
Are you in good moods to think properly? You believed Woyane’s black propaganda and blame those in jail who cannot react neither to your trash blames nor to Woyane’s lies.
If you are committed Ethiopians, then Woyane is successful in broadcasting the black propaganda because that is its plan “to make others believe them”. Else, if you are members of Woyane, then that is alright because you are doing your job.
Anyway, shame on you for not to be ashamed of blaming the innocents, insulting the heroes and allying with murderer’s.
After all, you are too ignorants to blame intellectuals of the CUD (who are ever heroes of Ethiopia); rather it is sulfish of you to aspire enjoying luxurious life at the cost of the lives of the elected leaders of Ethiopia.
Folks,
There is no pardon to be granted by the President. A convicted and sentenced criminal (political or other) has to serve at least a two-third of the term he is given before he is considered for pardon. What the TPLF trying is cooling down temper. In a day or two, it will come to tell the people and the international community that the law does not allow automatic pardon. As far as I am concerned, that is the law of the country. And TPLF is holding the law book tight more than any other time becasue it works for its advantage. Good for them.
As some of you said, the signing of the amnesty – pardon – clemency paper was a disaster. The CUD leaders and members should have known better. First, they told us they will not enter a “guilt” or “innocense” plea because they don’t recognize the court. Next, they told us they will defend themselves against the charges which they didn’t. Finally, they admitted guilt and asked amnesty. In all this, there is a stark revelation of their unacceptable personal and political behaviour, lack of judgement and respect for the people that supported them.
After admission of guilt and asking for pardon, would they expect international and national human rights organizations, the U.S. governmant and several other governments, the E.U. and AU. to support them? What would these institutions and governments tell the TPLF which flashes “admission of guilt” paper on their faces? A court conviction and sentence and admission of guilt is difficult to argue against.
They would have been better off without signing the admission of guilt paper. In doing that, they would have kept the momentum of the movement for their release both in and out of the country. They would have also kept the TPLF on the defensive from the pressure of national governments and international organizations. Now, the TPLF is all the winner.
Thank God that the TPLF did what the Ethiopian people were to do after decades of suffering under the CUD. The TPLF did the people a favour by getting rid of these cowards that betrayed the trust of the people that voted for them. Particularly, us, relatives and friends of those killed and woulded during the June and November 2005 violence are offended. We know who did the killing and were working to make the government and its security responsible. That hope is now further dashed.
Thank you the CUD leaders and members for contributing to impunity in this unfortunate land of ours.
# SEE said the following:
“You made me laugh”
Kinjit was, is and will remain as a shame.
Hailu Showel and his gangs had so much hope from Diaspora Kinjits. But the diaspora Kinjits are busy fighting among themselves. They had also hope from the Ferengis. The Ferengi ignored them too. Another hope from Addis people. They were again ignored by Addis people…”hizbum bihon restonal”…a word from Dr Berhanu while he is in jail. So were this people for real leaders elected by Ethiopians?
“…manim bihon ayadinachewm, ferengim bihon..” a word from His Excellency, our Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.
Hailu and his gangs will be out of jail soon. Some will retire entirely from politics, other from the evil spirit of Kinjit. The remaining will go to US to join and continue the endless battle b/n Shaleqa and Andargachew.
Opposition in Ethiopia should be encouraged but not in a way it was up to know. Any opposition should start it`s opposition by blessing the people who paid their life to fight the Derg, what ever name they have..Woeyane or TPLF, does`t matter.
Urgent massage from
kaliti
The kinigit leaders have asked all their supporters, to come out and stand as one
Zelalem, surafel, seleshi and demsash.
Every one knows who you are and evil intention of amplifying woyane’s propaganda among the diaspora who are not victims of the woyane controlled public media.
Woyane servants living in the US and Europe are trying hard to propagate their ruthless tyrant masters drama while woyane controlled mass media serves as mouthpiece of the hatred woyane junta at home. The people of Ethiopia and international community know very well the devilish nature of your masters. The pardon letter is nothing and doesn’t change the truth that the respected Kinijit leaders are innocents and heros, while woyanes are killers, liars and criminals. So you the bought advocates of woyane do not be labored in vain of evils, you cann’t change the truth. Truth is one and only one that is woyane is number one criminal and enamy to the people of Ethiopia.
What an embarassing closure!! These CUD leaders might be physically free but their conscience, if they have any would suffer the rest of their lives. By signing a pardon letter, they have betrayed the popular struggle for freedom and democracy. I cannot imagine how someone could be blinded by material promises. Berhanu Nega does not deserve to sit in the Mayor’s sit at all. He should rather join his friend Yacob Woldemariam in their chicken farm venture. What a shame?! It is time for genuine and patriotic Ethiopians to rise up and rescue this popular struggle. We need anohter Asrat Woldeyes, who never neals down to personal interests. Woyane has temporarily scored victory in all fronts. History will judge all these cowards soon.
The Ethiopian board of pardon has begun looking into the plea for pardon made by the leaders and members of the CUD. The board on Thuesday has started to examine tender for pardon by 38 of the total 71 applicants who meet the requirement ….more to come….
Here is the link
http://www.waltainfo.com/EnNews/2007/Jul/18Jul07/32945.htm
Folks:
All these tragic comedy starting from the May election; the CUD vctory and the TPLF robbery; the mass demonistrations and killing-jailing violent reactions; the sufferance in the jail and the court proceedings; the death sentence and its reduction to life imrisonemt; the guilt confession and the pardoning possibility, the Amnesty board and the appeal for liberty, the waiting and waiting and waiting in vanity are all too much of a long drama.
And here in the diaspora we are arguing in many different variations and gradations to the extent that the jailed leaders are almost becoming the unreachable and untouchable spirits whose words and sayings may be intereprated in any form and any direction just similar to that of the prophet mohammad, Jesus Christ, Dilaa Koobi Warqqe, Guttama Budha,etc.
Why should some people get unfairly bitter to the helpless leaders who are under the control of the armed adversary who is able to impose any kind of terms and conditions they may wish them to fulfil. Any way, the TPLF does not understand anything of peaceful struggle what so ever, so why put yourself in the hands of such people without having any safety plan in place?
Zelalem:
We trust our leaders.They know what they are doing.We remain unconditionaly loyal to our leaders.Even if they signed the paper so what!! We want them out off prison at any cost now. They are better useful to the advancement of the struggle out side than inside. Our dear leaders If you have to sign 100 times to be free sign it.
If in fact our leaders have signed this letter what it shows is that Meles is not only immature and desperate but also a morron. Except the morrons who cannot differntiate the sun from a 25 wats light bulb all will know that such a statment whixh is taken at gun point is invalid. So who is he fooling?
And for those who contemplate criticizing our leaders for signing any document should ask what have I done to save Ethiopia? If they have not done what our leaders have done for their country they should just shut up.
To “Zelalem”.
Do not think that the people of Ethiopia are ignorants. Many of us are aware of the cookings. But, I hate your “confused” and “poisonous effort” to hide the reality of the “theater”. An obsolete tactic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In his interview to the local Media the respected Ato Lidetu Ayelew EDAPA MEDHIN Chairman, former Spokes person of kinigit and member the EFDR parliament has expressed, his support for the pardon letter written and signed by the jailed CUD leaders.. Accompanied by his secretary General Ato Mushe Semu, His Excellency lidetu feels very optimistic about the letter and, it is his party hope that the Government will do the right thing in accordance with their request. The secretary General on his part has also said, this will create different prospect for the country
You are nothing but a mindless moron with a rotten, trashy mouth . You got nothing to offer to this country other than mongering hate. It is painful and sad to see personalities like President Girma Wolde-Giorgis and Dr. Taye Woldesemait being insulted and humiliated by individuals with nothing to account on. Both of the above public figures have had a lot to accomplish and to offer to their country irrespective of their political beliefs, no matter, which I respect. Compare you
In my view, it is almost a crime to believe that CUD leaders signed such a document.
TAN
I am following strictly all the events in our land.Thanks God,however it is totally a very brutal that the loser Woyane government is still in power stealing the peoples voice,but the final efforts made to realese those our real leaders of our people who won the electon has a little bit one step forward.One thing is true,that the whole world is now very alert of all the woyanes last trick in which they are pumping using their propaganda machines such as Walta info Center,Fana , ETV & Eth Radios saying that our Heroes have requisted for pardon,(only the woyane medias are propagating)which is the number one shame in our planet.I am deeply sad when I listend .Any way they themselves/the woyane medias like Reporter/ are now filling that what are doing is same like mentaly sick child and felt that they are ignored by the international community even.Let me ask all the woyanes one question.Why the Woyane Amnesty board afer visiting the prisoners in kality,why don’t they tell the truth to the media that ‘What did they say the jailed prisionres if the signatures are belonging to them or about other condition what happened?All the woyane medias are quite because thy have nothing to say,because they know that all what they said was false.and they know very well that our jailed leaders are very strong and they never change their promise,they are Heroes of the Century.Not only Ethiopians ,the whole world knows today who are they,and for what perpuse they are suffering in woyanes prison.And finally I would like to inform all the Woyanes that they must follow the information what happened in the USA congress about the HR 2003,they tried first using as hostage those jailed persons to falsify the HR desicion (paying more than 2.5millions Dollar to the Lobbists)finally failed their effort to won them.Woyanes must know that the USA senate is not the The Woyanes parlament.Chaw woyanes.,so now what to do? I am really filinfg shame for all the woyanes.Any way we have to look now forward for the real democratic and peaceful Ethiopia.
God bless our leaders.
lidetu kihedetu please dont shout and grow up.
What will happen if CUD leaders stay in prison and decide to serve their life time sentence?
All of us who voted for them were in prison for the period they were in prison psychologically. Was there a time that we eat without remember those that we put in prison with our ballot cards? Was there a day that we slept in our comfortable beds and say how could we continue doing this while they are sleeping on a floor of a corrugated Iron bar cold and unhealthy room? Was there a day when we were truly happy and enjoyed life after our ballot card led to the imprisonment of innocent people who once were happily living with their families and had a living standard better than most Ethiopian families? I don
BREAKING NEWS!!!
It is most likely that the leaders of CUD will be out of jail by tomorrow Friday 07/20/07. Sources very close to Shemegloch have already confirmed this news. According to the source, the delay will be might be by some kinds of bureaucratic procedure. The president however will present the official pardon tonight 07/19/07. The jailed leaders also recived a full pardon. That means they can take over the city administration, they will also fully participated in the restructure of their party, most of all they will take their seat in the parliament
Ok all this time i was with CUD and once i heard that they sign a document asking for mercy i was like WTF?what happen to WE DIE FOR WHAT WE STARTED? i cant belive the jailed leaders are scared of WOYANE what a shame the ppl who lost thier life in 2005 will be rolling over from thier grave if they hear that the jailed leaders agreed to sign out a damn document, i am so mad and sad at the jailed leaders i wont forgive them NEVER EVER.The ppl payed the ultimate sacrifies and gave thier life for them and now the leaders wanted to worship MELES? oh NO this is the worst crime that any political group had comitted.Now i think about it the so called leaders were POWER AND MONEY HUNGERY GREEDY PPL who want to get what they want.They dont care about ETHIOPIAN PPL all they want is to get power like any other AFRICAN dictator so they can ruin ppls life,from today on i stop supporting CUD and i am going to tell to any one i know about thier fake double faced personality.I feel bad for my beloved ethiopain ppl MAY GOD GIVE US A BETTER LEADER ONE DAY AND WE ALL KNOW WHO IS THE REAL ETHIOPIAN LEADER STRONG LIKE IRON,MANDELLA-LIKE DEDICATED LEADER IS WHAT ETHIOPIAN NEEDS.AMEN.
Zelalem I wonder how you people think. Do you really know exactly whether they signed this content or something different. Why cant you have a Patients few days, then we will heir exactly. As to me they paid enough for the Ethiopian people. Ask yourself, what you have done. Unless you cooperate with Woyane and jail and kill them for one or the other reasons you shouldn
Pricess:
I undestand your frustration with politicians who basically purssue their own private interests or call it political entrepreneurship such power, money and status by swearing in the name of the wretched people. If what is being rumoured is true, what do you expect from already well to do rich and well educated people only coming out to grab power if possible by riding on the backs of poor Ethiopians and make more profits for themsleves alone?
If they go to join the dictator’s government for some more money and some more status, forgetting the basic objective of the struggle, the dead, the wounded, the displaced, the tortured, etc. and legitimize the torturer we must totally disown them as traitors and continue our struggle under new and pricipled leaders similar to Mandella.
How come the struggle can be so easily highjacked by the same dictatorship we are trying to democratize for the better and for all? The dictator needs these guys after involving himself in the Somali quagmire out of which he may not come out intact.