Source: ENA
Addis Ababa, 8/10/2005

The Federal High Court on Wednesday sentenced to death Colonel Tesfaye Woldeselassie, who served as Minister of National and Public Security, and General Leggesse Belayneh, who was head of Central Investigation Department during the former military regime.

The Court has also sentenced other eight convicts in the files of Colonel Debela Dinsa and accomplices from 10 years to life in prison.

Accordingly, the third criminal bench of the court sentenced to life in prison Colonel Teklemichael Armidae who was head of Anti-Rebellion and Police special Investigation Department.

The court has also sentenced to 22 years of rigorous prison terms Colonel Shimelis Alemu, who was Head of the so-called Revolution Guard in Addis Ababa General Council, and Seyoum Woldemichael, who was head of Investigation Team under the Derg regime.

The Court sentenced Dr. Alemu Abebe, who was Chairman and Mayor of the Addis Ababa General Council to 20 years rigorous imprisonment, while it sentenced Colonel Admasu Gessesse, who was Deputy Head of the Central Investigation Department to 18 years in prison.

The Addis Ababa General Council Revolutionary Campaign Coordinating Committee Chairman and Administrator of the former Shoa Province, Colonel Debele Dinsa, and Representative of Uniformed Personnel at the former Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, Major Rondasa Birratu have each been sentenced to 13 years rigorous prison terms.

Another convict named Abera Yemane-ab, the head of Urban Dwellers Associations Organizing Department, is sentenced to 10 years in prison.

While passing the sentence, the court said Colonel Tesfaye Woldeselassie and General Legesse Belayneh have played prominent roles in the inhuman persecution of political dissidents by setting up and coordinating institutions of torture under the so-called Revolutionary Central Investigation and Police Special Investigation Departments.

In one of such institutions which used to be called Bermuda, prisoners were exposed to extremely inhuman tortures, according to the court.

Victims of such excessive tortures were used to be wrapped by plastic sheet to protect the torturers from getting splashed with blood or pus of the victims in successive round of tortures.

Apart from the routine whiplashes and beatings, victims also used to be electrocuted, it was indicated.

After the tortures, victims were used to be covered by a chemically-treated cloth that will lead them suffer extreme eye irritation, to the extent that they could not see for sometime.

Human witnesses have testified to the court that victims that suffered the stated kind of torture were taken out of the prison cells and never returned as they were persecuted to death.