(New York, July 20, 2007) — Amnesty International today welcomed the release of 38 Ethiopian opposition party officials, prominent human rights defenders and journalists who had been detained since November 2005. They received a pardon and had their political rights restored four days after most were sentenced to life in prison and others to prison terms of up to 15 years. Amnesty International considered most, if not all, to be prisoners of conscience.
“We are pleased by the decision to pardon prisoners of conscience, including human rights defenders, who are now free to participate in the social and political development of their country,” said Lynn Fredriksson, Africa Advocacy Director for Amnesty International USA.
Amnesty International expressed the hope that this important measure of political reconciliation will be a step toward the institutionalization of human rights protections throughout the country. The 38 were arrested after political demonstrations against official parliamentary election results in 2005, after which security forces killed 187 people and six police officers were also killed.
“Following today’s news, we renew our appeal for the release of two other prisoners of conscience, Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie, accused with the 38 but whose trial is continuing next week,” said Fredriksson. Unlike those sentenced the two had opted to submit a defense. Another prisoner of conscience whose trial is adjourned until October is Kifle Tigneh, who was elected to parliament in 2005.
The 38 released today received pardons after submitting a letter to the government of Ethiopia acknowledging “mistakes committed both individually and collectively” in relation to the 2005 elections.
They include Coalition of Unity and Democracy (CUD) leaders Hailu Shawel, Birtukan Mideksa, Dr. Berhanu Negga and Professor Yakob Hailemariam, as well as Professor Mesfin Woldemariam, founder of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council, and journalist Andualem Ayele.
Meles Zenawi said at a press conference today that the released leaders of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (Kinijit) cannot take their seats in parliament. He said that their seats have expired and that they can participate in the next election. Watch the press conference:
Ethiopia’s opposition leader has hit out at the government just hours after being pardoned and released from a life sentence in jail.
Hailu Shawel said he had signed a document admitting to organising violent election protests in 2005 and asking for clemency “under duress”.
The government had come under strong international pressure to free Mr Hailu and 37 others to help reconciliation.
But Prime Minister Meles Zenawi warned that the pardons were conditional.
“The government expects them to stick to their promises,” Mr Meles said, adding that those freed must respect the rule of law and government institutions.
Mr Hailu said he had not been tortured but had signed the apology because among those jailed were people with small children.
He also dismissed talk of reconciliation.
“I can’t see how we can reconcile if the guy in power can’t reconcile,” Reuters news agency quotes him as saying.
He also repeated charges that the 2005 general election had been rigged.
The government denied charges of ballot-rigging and points out that it introduced multi-party elections to Ethiopia.
‘Shameful’
The 38 were taken from prison in three minibuses, while Mr Meles announced the pardon to journalists.
They included 30 Coalition for Unity and Democracy leaders such as Mr Hailu, the mayor-elect of the Addis Ababa Berhanu Nega and several other MPs and local councillors from the capital.
Eight other were also freed after being convicted of links to the protests at alleged vote-rigging, in which some 193 people were killed – mostly demonstrators.
Five others were convicted in absentia and sentenced to life in prison.
But anti-poverty campaigners Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie remain in detention after refusing to sign the government’s document.
Mr Meles said the right to vote and contest elections would be restored to those pardoned.
But he said the MPs had boycotted parliament for two years and so may be unable to reclaim their seats.
‘Farcical’
Mr Meles denied that he was succumbing to US pressure to issue the pardons.
“The Ethiopian government isn’t willing and is unable to be run like a banana republic from Capitol Hill. Some individuals appear to be entertaining such illusions,” he said.
He also said that some of the international pressure on his government had been “shameful”.
The prime minister said the pardons showed the government had “no sense of revenge”, and that the “sorry saga” was now “fully behind us”.
The head of the European Union 2005 election observers in Ethiopia had condemned the life sentences as “farcical” and “inhumane”.
After prosecutors called for the death penalty, the US urged the government to “promote reconciliation” in the final sentence.
Today around 3 PM local time, 38 of the 71 Kinijit leaders and journalists who have been in jail since Nov 2005 wakled out of the disease-infested Qaliti prison. As three minibuses carrying them exited the prison ground, they were greeted with cheers from hundreds of supporters who were waiting them outside. The Kinijit leaders responded by flashing “V” signed as the minibuses followed by several cars sped toward Addis Ababa.
Earlier today, Meles Zenawi, the butcher of Addis Ababa and Mogadishu, told reporters at a press conference: “The pardon is total. They are being freed with their constitutional rights restored. They have committed themselves to adhere to and respect the rule of law as well as the constitution of the country.”
A few moments after his release, Kinijit chairman Hailu Shawel told reporters that he had no apology to make for protesting 2005 election results because, “for us it is a normal political protest.” He said that he signed a formal apology under duress.
Bereket Simon, a propaganda adviser to Meles, declined to comment on Hailu Shawel’s remarks.
Ephraim Isaac, the chairman of a council of elders that mediated for the released of the detained opposition members, held a press conference to thank the president.
“A solution was found in a traditional Ethiopian way to achieve national reconciliation,” he said.
The council received the help of Haile Gebre Selassie, a national hero regarded by many as the greatest distance runner of all times.
“For the sake of peace we did what we had to do. For the last 18 months we’ve been working… So now we are very happy to have this beautiful and wonderful news,” he told reporters.
The council added in a statement that they would continue to work for the release of other opposition supporters detained in 2005.
“I’m very happy to see them released,” said Elsa, the sister-in-law of Hailu Shawel, chairman of the opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (Kinijit). “I just want to see him back in his own home with his family,” she told reporters at Kaliti prison. Meles said at a press conference this morning: “The Ethiopian government isn’t willing and is unable to be run like a banana republic from Capitol Hill. Some individuals appear to be entertaining such illusions.”
The Washington Post today pointed out: The prisoners were among an estimated 30,000 people arrested in a widespread crackdown on opposition supporters following Ethiopia’s 2005 elections, when the opposition made major gains despite accusations that the vote was flawed. Most of those arrested were quickly released but the top leadership of the country’s main opposition party, along with journalists, an elderly professor and the Addis Ababa mayor remained jailed. While Meles accused the opposition leaders of inciting violent protests following the elections, a government report later found that the protesters were unarmed and that Ethiopian security authorities had used excessive force, spraying crowds with bullets, targeting protesters with sharpshooters and hunting others down in their homes. At least 193 people were killed during the crackdown–some shot once in the head, execution style.
In a long-running trial in Ethiopia, the anti-poverty campaigners Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie are among the last few defendants still trying to establish their innocence in court, after they declined to sign a document which might have secured their early release.
Today the Ethiopian regime pardoned 38 convicted prisoners – mainly opposition politicians and some journalists – who had signed a document admitting using “unconstitutional means to change the constitutionally established government functions”, following the 2005 elections. Most of the 38 to be freed were sentenced to life imprisonment four days ago (on Monday 16 July).
Daniel Bekele, 40, policy manager of ActionAid Ethiopia, and Netsanet Demissie, 29, general manager of the Organisation for Social Justice in Ethiopia, decided not to sign, arguing that their activities in 2005 were entirely legal and served not to undermine but to protect and promote Ethiopia’s constitutional order. They wish to establish this in court and secure their acquittal.
The two were detained in November 2005 alongside opposition political leaders and charged in January 2006 with the crime of “outrage against the constitution and the constitutional order”. Amnesty International considers them to be prisoners of conscience and human rights defenders.
Represented by their advocate, the two appeared at the Supreme Court in Addis Ababa today (Friday 20 July) to appeal against the High Court ruling that in the wake of the prosecution evidence, they did have a case to answer.
Daniel and Netsanet argued that their work in monitoring the 2005 parliamentary election and their involvement in the civil society initiative to resolve the post-electoral political impasse were both positive contributions performed in a peaceful and constitutional manner.
After hearing Daniel and Netsanet’s petition, which the public prosecutor opposed on procedural grounds, the Supreme Court adjourned until next Tuesday (24 July)
The two anti-poverty campaigners expect to begin presenting defence evidence in the High Court towards the end of July – unless the Supreme Court has by then already ruled in their favour.
Family members of the jailed leaders of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (Kinijit) and the journalists are heading to Qaliti prison this morning to receive them when they finally get out this afternoon. Members of the media have also arrived at Qaliti.
At the other side of town, the real criminal, Meles Zenawi and his puppet, President Girma Woldegiorgis, are giving press conferences. The mediators will also give a press conference this afternoon at the Sheraton Hotel. The three press conferences will be broadcast by the Woyanne-controlled media tonight.
Those who will be release today include:
Ato Hailu Shawel, Wzr. Bertikan Mideqsa, Ato Muluneh Eyoel, Dr Befekadu Degifie, Ato Gizachew Shiferraw, Ato Abayneh Berhanu, Dr Hailu Araya, Shaleqa Getachew Mengistie, Dr Berhanu Nega, Ato Seleshi Tena, Prof. Mesfin Woldemariam, Dr Yacob Hailemariam, Ato Ashalew Ketema, Dr Tadios Bogale, Ato Gebretsadiq Gebremariam, Ato Assefa Habtewold, Ato Brook Kebede, Ato Tamrat Tarekegn, Ato Andualem Aragie, Wzr. Negist Gebrehiwot, Ato Debebe Eshetu, Ato Yeneneh Mulat, Ato Mamushet Amare, Ato Anteneh Mulugeta, Ato Tesfaye Tariku, Ato Waltenegus Asnake, Ato Mulu Gashu, Ato Mesfin Tesfaye, Ato Andualem Ayele, Ato Mesfin Debesa, Ato Berhanu Alemayehu, Ato Wudneh Jedi, Ato Melaku Uncha, Ato Abyot Wakjira, Ato Daniel Berihun, Ato Wonakseged Zelleke, Ato Dawit Fassil.
Their release came about following several months of mediation involving the American embassy, European diplomats, and some prominent Ethiopians. After a great deal of pressure from donor countries, Meles Zenawi has been forced to release his hostages, but only if they admit that they had committed the crimes he charged them with. Out of the 71 hostages who signed such a statement (with guns to their heads), 38 will be released today. The rest will await the court ruling before the Board of Pardon review their request for pardon. And thus the Woyanne tragic comedy continues.
Earlier today, Meles Zenawi, 
“I’m very happy to see them released,” said Elsa, the sister-in-law of Hailu Shawel, chairman of the opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (Kinijit). “I just want to see him back in his own home with his family,” she told reporters at Kaliti prison. 
Meles said at a press conference this morning: “The Ethiopian government isn’t willing and is unable to be run like a banana republic from Capitol Hill. Some individuals appear to be entertaining such illusions.”