Human rights advocate Amnesty International issued the following statement regarding the convictions by a kangaroo court in Ethiopia today.
(Amnesty International) — The Ethiopian authorities must immediately release four government critics and a former opposition supporter who have been found guilty of terrorism charges on Thursday, Amnesty International said today.
Journalists Reyot Alemu and Woubshet Taye, opposition party leader Zerihun Gebre-Egziabher and former opposition supporter Hirut Kifle, were found guilty on terror and money laundering charges. Journalist Elias Kifle, now based in the US, was also found guilty in absentia.
“This is an affront to freedom of expression. The convictions are yet another sign that individuals who hold different opinions, represent different political parties or attempt to provide independent commentary on political developments, are no longer tolerated in Ethiopia,” said Claire Beston, Amnesty International’s Ethiopia researcher.
“There is no evidence that these three men and two women are guilty of any criminal wrongdoing. We believe that the five are prisoners of conscience, prosecuted because of their legitimate work and peaceful activities and they should be released immediately,” she added.
The five were found guilty on three charges: ‘Planning, Preparation Conspiracy, Incitement and Attempt of Terrorist Act’, Participation in a Terrorist Organisation’ and ‘Money Laundering’.
Journalists Woubshet Taye, Reyot Alemu and Elias Kifle have all written articles critical of government policy and practice, while Zerihun Gebre-Egziabher, the president of the Ethiopian National Democratic Party, has written statements on behalf of his party which were critical of the government.
Shortly before his arrest in June last year, the opposition leader had also requested permission to stage a political rally on 28 May in central Addis Ababa.
Hirut Kifle was jailed in 2007 for alleged involvement with an armed group, while she was a supporter of the opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy, before being released by Presidential pardon.
Much of the evidence presented by the prosecution during the trial related to the defendants exercising their right to freedom of expression and association. This included numerous articles written by defendants,and even articles sent to them by other people.
A substantial proportion of the evidence against the defendants related to their reporting of, and alleged involvement in, the appearance of the slogan Beka! (“Enough!”) in locations around Addis Ababa in early 2011, as a call for peaceful protests against the government to take place on 28 May.
“This focus of the prosecution’s evidence illustrates that free expression has been criminalised in this trial, and that criticising the government is considered a crime,” said Claire Beston.
The court and pre-trial proceedings were also marred by numerous fair trial concerns. Both Woubshet Taye and Zerihun Gebre-Egziabher complained in court that they were severely beaten while held at Maikelawi detention centre in Addis Ababa, which is infamous for the frequent use of torture against pre-trial detainees. No investigations into these allegations have been carried out.
Woubshet Taye and Reyot Alemu were both forced to reveal their e-mail passwords during interrogation in Maikelawi. Contents of the e-mail accounts were presented as evidence against them in court. Woubshet Taye also complained that e-mails from his account had been changed, and some were falsely interpreted.
Reyot, Woubshet and Zerihun were denied access to family members for the first month of their detention in Maikelawi and were held in isolation cells during the initial stages of their detention. Hirut Kifle was reportedly denied access to family members for three months when she was first detained.
In October, Woubshet Taye and Zerihun Gebre-Egziabher were informed that their visiting arrangements had changed. Since then, visitors have only been permitted to visit the two men for ten minutes per day.
Since March 2011 at least 107 opposition party members and journalists have been arrested and charged with various offences under the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation and Criminal Code. Last month two Swedish journalists were convicted of terrorism offences and sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment.
9 thoughts on “Amnesty Int’l statement on the convictions of Elias Kifle et al”
I hope they`ll do something after the Amnesty intl statement ; But I won`t expect more than pardon and ban of their future works in Ethiopia like they have done for over a decade. This asshole tigrians are getting crazier and crazier !!
Tezibt replies:
January 19th, 2012 at 4:22 PM
Eloid:
Your statement “This asshole tigrians are getting crazier and crazier”, is that of an ignorant person. You can attack the government in a civilized way. Your types are the obstacle to bring about peace in Ethiopia. If you can’t be man enough to do the hard job, you should stay put. I believe you are a woyane who is trying to divide or you are one sick person. People do things not because they are Oromo, Amara, tigre or any thing else. They do things only because they want to advance their own ideology in a way that benefits them. Just because 7 or 10 people are dominating the country and they collect yes men around them you shouldn’t find a pretext anytime you want to attack tigrenet. This is not some thing a concerned Ethiopian does rather a sick minded ethnicist. That is what we have to fight, if we have to fight for justice, human right,peace and prosperity.
Ha replies:
January 20th, 2012 at 11:35 AM
Tezibit, don’t worry, they have clearly showed that their struggle is again with the people of Tigray which they will never win. What we did in the 17 years of our armed struggle is a testimony for that. It is fact which is 20 years long. Who is brave enough to come and fight with this brave people who is dedicated to defeat its enemies? I tell you, no one!
HAHAHA! replies:
January 20th, 2012 at 1:37 PM
Tezibit,
EPLF and TPLF used Amharas as scape goat by manufacturing stories to divide and rule. Now, you’re tasting your own medicine when people generalize and blame the entire ethnic group. Even though, I disagree in generalizing, but considering the current TPLF government, Ethiopians shouldn’t be blamed, one small Tigrea province controls and rules with iron fist and rob the multiethnic and multicultural country Ethiopia. I am proud to say, the majority of Ethiopians are very careful not to put all the blame on innocent patriotic Tigrea Ethiopians. In that seventeen years and till these days, EPLF and TPLF probably have killed more than one or two million Ethiopians, including their own ethnic group who believed in Ethiopiawinet. Obviously, Issayas picked and trained the most lawless, ruthless, heartless people to be more merciless killers and professional thieves, like Adolf Hitler soldiers. And Issayas is paying for it…brouhaha!!!!
By William Davison
Jan. 19 (Bloomberg) — An Ethiopian judge found three
journalists, an opposition politician and another person guilty
of conspiring to commit terrorist acts, a crime that carries a
maximum sentence of death.
Elias Kifle, who runs the U.S.-based Ethiopian Review
website, and four others were accused of plotting to sabotage
infrastructure, Alemu Gobebo, whose daughter Reeyot Alemu was on
trial, said today. They are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan 26,
Ministry of Justice spokesman Desalegn Teresa said in a phone
interview.
“They said they were guilty,” Alemu, a private lawyer who
advised the defense team, said in an interview outside the
Federal High Court Third Division in the capital, Addis Ababa.
“It was politically motivated.”
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s government is using a 2009
anti-terrorism law to silence opposition politicians and the
independent media, London-based Amnesty International said last
month. Since March, 108 politicians and six journalists have
been arrested for having links to banned groups, it said.
“Amnesty International believes there is no evidence that
the three men and two women were guilty of any criminal
wrongdoing,” the rights group’s Ethiopia researcher, Claire
Beston, said today in an e-mailed statement. “We believe that
the five are prisoners of conscience, prosecuted because of
their legitimate work and peaceful activities.”
Alemu’s daughter, Reeyot Alemu, a columnist for Fiteh
newspaper, was convicted alongside former Awramba Times deputy
editor Woubshet Taye, opposition leader Zerihun Gebre-Egziabher
and Hirut Kifle.
Prosecution Evidence
Prosecution evidence included photographs of slogans saying
“Beka,” which means “enough” in the Amharic language,
calling for an end to Meles’s two-decade-old government, Alemu
said. The defendants were accused of recruiting people to write
the slogans, he said.
“These convictions are another sign that individuals who
hold different opinions, represent different political parties
or attempt to provide independent commentary on political
developments, are no longer tolerated in Ethiopia,” Amnesty
said.
Fascist woiani and it’s mercenary hirelings
who were trying to creat havoc in our midst
through malicious con artistry to bamboozle
us, are themselves about to ripe what they sow.
I’m on the front seat to watch the Unfolding show.
I think Pro-Democracy web sites need to post and stick ANTI-TERRORISM LAW, so as to make readers its motivation. It has become Woyanne’s best gun since their defeat in the 2005 election, 2010, 99% win? In order to AMEND this awkward CONSTITUTION, election has to be won by th opposition. What a vicious cycle?
Not only journalistic opinion is denied, the abuse/torture/lock-up they endure is also a reflection of the tolerance level of a majority of % Ethiopians ( numbed? materialsistic/weakened?) anywhere/everywhere. The JUDICIAL SYSTEM serves the regime not the citizens. In this way, Ethiopia has lost and still in the name of Democracy. ETHIOPIA IS NOT A DEMOCRACY as of now.
It seems ESAT IS A WONDERFUL BEGINNING. IT DESERVES TO BE SUPPORTED.l of Ethiopians IOPIA anywhere/everywhere
Kokoro sebari replies:
January 21st, 2012 at 3:55 PM
What moderation have you read what the he’ll you wrote
Eden1 replies:
January 22nd, 2012 at 5:09 PM
Is the reply to me? What exactly are you saying.