PRESS RELEASE – Kinijit UK

It is with profound sadness that we learned the death of Steve Sinnott, General Secretary of The National Union of Teachers in England and Wales, and a great friend of Ethiopia on 5th April 2008, aged 56.

Steve Sinnott, general secretary of UK’s
National Union of Teachers and a great
friend of Ethiopia

Steve Sinnott was a matchless campaigner of human and trade union rights and one of the few genuine friends of the people of Ethiopia who understood well the plight of Ethiopians in general and teachers in particular under the tyrannical regime of the TPLF led government in Ethiopia.

Steve Sinnott, a passionate advocate of human and teacher’s rights all over the world has been an active participant of the campaign for freedom and democracy staged by the Ethiopian Community in the United Kingdom over the years.

Steve Sinnott’s death is a huge blow to the cause of free society and Ethiopians in the United Kingdom believe that they have lost from their side a doughty fighter against injustice and tyranny in Ethiopia.

Steve Sinnott, who was inspirational in his devotion to teaching for children across the world, is survived by a wife and daughter and son. We thank Steve for all his effort in promoting trade union and human rights in Ethiopia in his personal and official capacity and our sympathy goes to all in his family struck by his sudden and tragic death.

While looking forward for an occasion to honour his achievements and celebrate his life, we strongly believe that the most a fitting tribute would be to carry on with the campaign for free society and other causes he was committed to during his lifetime.

Addis Fortune reports that singer Teddy Afro was sent to Kaliti jail today. There is no doubt that the whole thing has been orchestrated by Woyanne to silence Teddy. Read the full report below:

(Addis Fortune) – Ethiopia’s sensational stage performer, Tewodros Kassahun – popularly known as Teddy-Afro – is sent today, April 16, 2008, to the Addis Abeba Central Prison Centre after the Federal High Court eighth criminal bench, adjourned to rule over his appeal for right of bail on charges of murder.

He was under custody inside the Federal High Court, Lideta area, for couple of hours before a white minibus from the Prison Administration took him to Kaliti early this afternoon, together with other inmates. Fans, family members and his agent, Addis Gessese, have gathered inside the court before the minibus drove out.

Yet to be confirmed, he is believed to have been taken to Kaliti Prison Centre, located in the outskirts of the city. Dressed with red T-shirt and black pant, he appeared nervous and seemed unable to focus when talking to reporters gathered inside the Court, but maintained his innocence of the crime he is alleged to have committed.

“I’ve yet to compose my thoughts,” Tewodros told reporters who showered him with series of questions. “Nevertheless, I haven’t hit anyone with a car.”

On November 3, 2006, investigators from the Addis Abeba Police Commission arrested Tewodros Kassahun, suspecting him of leaving a scene of a car accident that they alleged has caused the death of an 18-year old Degu Yibelte. Degu, a street dweller who came from Gojjam to reside with his uncle before he moved out to the streets, was killed on the night of November 2, 2006, after he was hit by a car. Police was tipped on phone a plate number of a BMW by a taxi driver whose identity they were trying to establish at the time.

Later that night, around after midnight, a BMW owned and driven by the singer was found collided with a concrete that blocked road under-construction around Gurd Sholla area, on the road to the CMC residential complex. Police claimed at the time, the plate number of this vehicle was identical to the number they were tipped of by the unidentified taxi driver as involved in the accident that killed Degu.

After he was put under custody for a day, Tewodros was released on a 50,000 Birr bail the following day, on November 4, 2006.

Prosecutors have now pressed charges against the popular singer: According to the Ethiopian Penal Code, a driver who hit a person to death and drives 15 metre away from the scene of an accident would be charged of homicide. The court is adjourned for Monday, April 21, to decide whether or not Tewodros be granted release on bail.

An estimated 374 people will be executed in China during this summer’s Olympic games in Beijing, Amnesty International has claimed. A new league table of the world’s most frequent executioners showed China officially used capital punishment 470 times last year. But some campaigners believe the true figure may be 8,000. The human rights group called on Olympic athletes and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to press for greater openness about executions by the host country. Amnesty’s UK director Kate Allen said: “As the world’s biggest executioner, China gets the ‘gold medal’ for global executions. According to reliable estimates, on average China secretly executes around 22 prisoners every day – that’s 374 people during the Olympic games… Continue reading >>

By Sebugwaawo Ismail, Khaleej Times

RAS AL KHAIMAH — The three children, who reportedly tried to escape from Ethiopia by hiding in a cargo ship’s engine room last month, finally reached the Mina Al Saqr port in Ras Al Khaimah yesterday morning.

The boys, whose nationalities are not known as they do not possess any identification documents, were handed over to the UAE Coast Guards in Ras Al Khaimah who have detained them for interrogation.

Officials from the Coast Guards did not divulge any details about the children citing security reasons.
The children would be handed over to the police who will coordinate with the immigration offices and the Ethiopian Consulate to trace their nationalities and arrange the necessary repatriation formalities.

By Teddy Fikre

The past couple of days have witnessed an incessant maelstrom emanating from the Clinton and McCain camps, seizing on the statements that Barack Obama made about the frustrations felt by many Americans in towns across American. While Senator Obama could have been a bit more artful about his choice of words, the statements he made were nevertheless accurate. It is true that Americans today are more pessimistic than ever about our circumstance and grow increasingly frustrated with the direction of our country. A recent CBS News/New York Times poll revealed that 81% of Americans feel that the country is heading in the wrong direction. While the “uber-riche” might not be feeling the pinch of a sub-primed economy, the overwhelming majority of Americans find themselves more anxious about the economy and a growing disconnect between the rhetoric of Washington, D.C. and the unease felt on Main Streets across America… Continue reading >>