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British law authorizes the arrest of Ethiopia’s dictator

Posted on , Updated on by Elias Kifle

On the invitation of British prime minister Gordon Brown, Ethiopia’s dictator Meles Zenawi — also known as the “butcher of Addis” — is currently visiting the United Kingdom. Meles will make another trip to London on April 20 next month to participate in the G20 meeting.

This is a good opportunity for Ethiopians in Europe and human rights groups to file charges of torture and war crimes against Meles Zenawi, since there is a tone of evidence against him.

Section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 of U.K. authorizes the prosecution in Britain of any person who commits an act of torture anywhere in the world, as defined in the UN Convention Against Torture 1984, which Britain has ratified and pledged to enforce.

Under Section 24 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, ordinary citizens have the power to arrest a person who has committed a crime.

EPPF, Ginbot 7, ONLF and other Ethiopian opposition forces have a strong presence in London. The genocidal dictator is coming to a place where they can outgun him using the U.K. law as their weapon. Go after him.

31 thoughts on “British law authorizes the arrest of Ethiopia’s dictator”

  2. Elias this is good idea and I hope UK arrest Meles but I dont understand why you consider ONLF as a Ethiopian opposition. The ONLF is no different then TPLF and OLF. ONLF claim Ethiopia colonize them and all lies.
    Ethiopian oppositon is only EPPF, TPDM, Gnbot 7 and loyal Ethiopians.

    The TPLF, ONLF, OLF and other ethnic group organization is against Ethiopia.

  3. Before I proceed into my comment let me say a few words to ato Mamo (writer of comment #2). Mamo welcome to the Ethiopian politics.Because you look like someone just arrived from different planet .Because you deny that OLF and ONLF are not opposition parties. So what are these group to be mentioned in your alien language? These kind of ignorance has no any kind of credit in our country’s political future. You are one of the left-overs from the Minilik or Teferi Mekonnen era of stupid leadership which put the country behind for centuries. I am not a supporter of any of those political groups. But today is not the time when we sit back and listen to dull people like you. It is not even appropriate to reply to your divisive and outdated view of today’s world view. You must be the son of one of those arrogant feudal entities who can only talk on matters like the one you just raised. In Ethiopia, we don’t have room for someone like you. We love our country so we look forward that any misunderstanding among political groups be solved for the good of the beloved nation.

  5. Mr. Mamo,
    As you claim it because of ONLF and OLF, their ethnic group can not be Ethiopians ? You guys why you obsessed some of you to offend us all the time ?

  6. I think this is a great idea. Meles Zenawi at this point in time he is massacring women and children in Ogaden. He should be arrested and brought to court. I strongly support the activities of International Crimanal Court against another butcher, Beshir of Sudan. The ICC must do the same againist Meles Zenawi.

  8. Unless the Mamos wakeup from their 3000 years sleep, Ethiopia will remain the playground of dictators wearing different masks to keep “Ethiopian unity”. Have we not paid enough to the empty rhetoric of Ethiopian territorial unity? Today ONLF is the only active opposition to TPLF government in Ethiopia. They are paying precious blood of their young peoples to achieve freedom. As to the claims of ONLF read the history of Ogaden, before we show your ignorance. Please have pity to the poor Ethiopian children who are dieing in the various battlefields. What Ethiopia needs is unity of its people and not land. Please let us give at least moral support to ONLF.

  9. how i wish (some) ethiopians @ diasporas learn open their eyes and focus on what made them beggars in others land. Ethiopia’s problem will only be resolved in-Ethiopian, by-Ethiopian and not by so called ‘hager wodad’ going around making noises in others land.

    one thing though, i agree when you say “Ethiopian oppositon is only EPPF, TPDM, Gnbot 7” … these and other groups are really ‘Ethiopian Oppositions”…

  11. Mr. Mamo, since you have labeled ONLF and OLF as anti-Ethiopian, what do you think we should do with these organizations and the people they represent? Oh! You may say that they do not represent or have the support of their respective population; but don’t you think you are pursuing the same line of argument with the Woyanes and those who preceded them in the helm of power? Are you even aware that the people of Oromia and the Ogdaden together comprise the majority of the nation’s population and occupy more than half of the Ethiopian land mass? You thought it was easy and just a matter of labeling different ethnic groups and the organizations that represent them according to your own whims and the problem will wither away. Or do you really believe that the OLF and ONLF do not have the support of their respective ethnic population? These two organizations have been fighting for the respect of their legitimate rights of their people for some time now, but somehow you thought their struggle is just in vain because they do not support the unity of Ethiopia. To his credit, Elias has championed the cause of these organizations and the people they represent on this site for a long time now but I guess you did not get any of his messages. Smart Ethiopians have realized that without the Oromos and the Ogaden, Ethiopia will be just a shadow of her old-self. Many Ethiopians, for good reason, have not shaken the thought of the separation of Eritrea from Ethiopia, but people like you, with a mindset reminiscent of the feudal era, are motivating other ethnic groups to follow the example of the Eritreans because you just can not bring yourself to agree with the ideals of these organizations whose only sin is to fight for a cause they believe in. Subsequent rulers of Ethiopia did everything in their power to bring these people under control and they failed miserably and therefore using violent means to convince them again is just a fool’s errand. I am sure it would have delighted many chauvinist Ethiopians if the problem just disappeared by the sheer act of wishing. But those of us who are not day dreaming and wish for the well being all and every ethnic group and the region they live should deliberate on the matter to come into a mutually agreed solution to the satisfaction of all and not just a select ethnic group.

  12. Ethiopians, now is the time to put your Money were your mouth is. Let us get lawyers to file charges against this Butcher. The good for nothing Tplf gang leader must be brought to justice to pay the piper. The blood of the Oromos, the Somalis, the Anuaks, the Amaharas and the Tigreans scream every single second for justice.

  13. I agree with MAMO. Ofcourse, we are against to any form of torture anywhere in Ethiopia but I do not believe that ONLF is fighting for peoples’ freedom in Ogaden. Any ethnic based group or “party” obviously began with hatred and will end with dictator ship. No more ZEREGNA!!!!!!
    God bless Ethiopia

  14. The dictator is generational enemy of the Horn of Africa, let alone Ethiopia.

    He has distorted Unity of Ethiopian people.
    He has murdered pro-democratic Ethiopians,
    Several languished in poisoned prison.
    14 million people starved every year.
    Distort economic realities by manipulating figures
    He, his family and people around him are immersed in corruption.
    etc.

    One or more of the above can be reconciled, but his destruction of UNITY makes him the generational enemy of Ethiopia!

    Unity First

  15. I thought it was only Tony Blair who was fooled by the Ethiopian dictator. Now it is evident that Gordon Brown has also followed suit. True Ethiopians in diaspora should make their voices heard so that the British authorities can at least give a re-evaluation of their relationship with Meles.

  17. Yes, several European nations have the same laws/rules.The Ethiopians in the UK have greater chances to have get the bloody murderer convicted. There are a lot of documents for evidents.

    Ethiopians must act without delay. The time is in just now to catch the blood thursty nazi/facist zenawi for genocide, murder, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

    Ethiopoians in UK cannot find a better possibility than this time.

    We have failed to save, and watching Ethiopia sinking in the deep sea.

    Ethiopians in UK, we encourage you do it soon.

    Thank you ER

  19. Yes, Elias! this will be our main focus. We will do all our best to see this criminal arrested in London.This issue has been discussed widely by the Ethiopian and other community members.

    SEW

  20. Call our learned Lawyers into action. To win or not to win in our first attempt to have this killer answer to law is great. It has to be elevated to take its place in history as a first attempt legal action. Taking action not be attached to the initial win or loss outcome. The act of taking the step and act of registering a complaint does say we have started attempting to bring a monster to justice. From here, we will learn to walk towards bringing those human rights violators to justice and shame their collaborators.

  21. I promised God to donate money for the poor if he takes care of our evil so called leader, butcher Meles.

    Some of you shouldn’t twist people’s words; Mamo did not say OLF and ONLF are not Ethiopians, he said OLF and ONLF are fighting to free only their ethnic groups instead of fighting for all Ethiopians. We are all aware that Meles has tortured and killed Ethiopians from every ethnic group with the exception of his own ethnic group and he strongly believes in divide and rule mentality, and if we need to defeat him IT IS A MUST for all of us to come together and fight in the name of all Ethiopians.

  22. As a matter of customary international law, “sitting” heads of states have absolute immunity from the jurisdiction of foreign courts. See International Court of Justice’s decision in Belgium v. Democratic Republic of Congo. Thus, Britain would be in breach of its international obligations if it were to arrest said individual.

    -Mike

  23. First before i go in to the detail, i appriciate Ato Elias Kifle that he has taken the same stand like Mathama Gahandi who once said to some radical Hindus ” YES I AM A MUSILIM, I AM A CHRISTIAN, I AM A BUDDIST, I AM A HINDUS AND AT THE END I AM A PROUD INDIAN “. As we all know, the uniting of India has costed him his life and his dream has fullfilled India remained UNITED. Even today, there are some radicals among us who want to make the case more worst than before. Mamo is one of these blinded radicals who can not feel some thing else than his own direction. He claims Ethiopia without it’s peoples or may be only with his hand full radical group. For me it is a very funny idea. He is undermining the today’s maginitude of Ethiopian peoples( specially Oromos, Tigaros, Ogadnis, Benishanguls, Sidamas and other ) political awareness. In general, such kind of opion is spreading hatre among the Ethiopians more than ever. So let us not give a place for such an ant-Ethiopian peoples unity extremists.

  25. Meles is a servant and a tool of the American and British Adminstrations.However, brutal he is in dealing with any oppositions in Ethiopia, it is by the West that he is being protected.Accept that reality. It would be naive to expect the Western governments to put him in prison.
    A very stupid and ignorant comment from Mammo. A Somali from Ogaden is an Ethiopian. An Oromo is an Ethiopian. But they are oppressed and marginalised Ethiopians. Mammo and others like you need to change your chivenistic characters. Accept present Ethiopia which has among others has, Somali, Oromos, Amharas,Tigres, Sidamas, Gambelas, Gurages.

  26. There are many of you who are not thinking correctly.

    I support any organization that supports our God given border of Ethiopia. ETHIOPIAWINET is not found with the OLF and ONLF.

    Is there a difference between OLF, ONLF and TPLF? Infact the ONLF and OLF would be the most devastating organization ever to produce democracy in Ethiopia.
    This role of hatred towards Meles Seitanawi can not put us in a dumb political move and support those who try to input Islamic Sharia law like the ONLF and OLF. Have we forgotten that the OLF and ONLF both support the removal of Addis Abeba from Ethiopia and joining this fake name of Oromia? What is Finfine? They ignore the great Emperor Menelik II as a great Ethiopian leader and label him as a terrorist and conquerer!

    I have not heard anything good come out of the mouths of OLF and ONLF. Yes the Oromo and Ogaden are a big portion of Ethiopia and they are Ethiopians but who said they are half? I do not believe in Woyanne politics that try to say Oromo is bigger than Amharic speaker in Ethiopia. This is just to limit the politics of the real Ethiopians.
    How come you think all Oromo and Ogadin support these organizations?
    Every Ethiopian will continue to support Ethiopian organizations that are for Ethiopia and not for two Minnesota organizations like OLF and ONLF! If they change there mind in believing in Ethiopia then Woyanne never stay this long.

    My hate for Woyanne will not bring me to sell Ethiopia and help OLF, ONLF and TPLF.

    “Ethiopia shall soon stretch forth her hand” Psalm 68:31

  27. Well Mr. mamo, isn’t TPDM short for Tigray People Democratic Movement, what makes is that any different from ONLF or ONL? Can you explain to that? There is not need to argue with you, because you sound you are a man who think with his butt than his brain.

  28. Ashebir Abegaz’s statements smells Woyane. Woyane has different ways of approaching. You don’t have to tell us how large is the size of those areas of Ethiopia. It is not how vast an area is that matters, what matters is the unity and integrity of the people living in a peace and harmony.
    And this can only happen by leaders who are elected by the people from the people. I know and
    I believe this will happen in the very near future that Ethiopia will get rid of this mercenaries and blind puppets like you.

  30. Mamo, whether you like it or not there is on Ethiopia with out Oromo, The people of Ethiopia reject your divisive idea long ago. Your century old mentality no longer applies in modern Ethiopia who embraces the right of nations and nationalities of Ethiopia including the Oromo people.

    P/S don’t step blindly on the right of the Oromo people.

  31. Mamo, whether you like it or not there is on Ethiopia with out Oromo, The people of Ethiopia reject your divisive idea long ago. Your century old mentality no longer applies in modern Ethiopia who embraces the right of nations and nationalities of Ethiopia including the Oromo people.

    P/S don’t step blindly on the right of the Oromo people.

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