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.
Transformative Reconciliation is an attitude and a way of looking at reconciliation that emphasizes repairing the harm caused by human rights violations. When this is done using cooperative processes that include all stake holders, transformation is possible… [read more]
Ethiopian Review will launch a North America tour in January 2012 and its first stop will be Dallas, Texas. Editor-in-Chief Elias Kifle and Board member Meseret Agonafer and I will hold discussion with patriotic Ethiopians in Dallas on Sunday, January 15, 2012. The discussion will focus on: 1) Building the capacity of Ethiopian Review and other media that are instrumental in bringing change in Ethiopia; 2) Forging partnerships with groups who have similar goals, and 3) Intensifying the civil resistance against the Woyanne brutal dictatorship by deploying tactics such as economic and social boycott. To participate in the discussion, please contact us at [email protected]
Ethiopian Review has launched a web browser toolbar to make it easier for visitors to navigate and search the web site, make it more convenient to access the site, and get the latest TOP STORIES while performing other tasks. I encourage you to try it. Those who have downloaded the toolbar so far are finding it very helpful. Click here or below to install. I’d appreciate your feedback after Installing it. – Elias Kifle
Washington DC (ESAT) – The Oromo Liberation Front has announced its historic decision to drop its long-held secessionist agenda and to embrace the unity of Ethiopia under a genuine federal arrangement that must guarantee the rights, equality and liberty of all Ethiopians.
In a historic press release, the OLF, led by Brigadier General Kemal Gelchu, issued at the conclusion of its extraordinary National Council plenary, held on December 30 and 31 in Minnesota, the front spelt out its new vision in an unprecedented clarity. The meeting was also open to any non-Oromo Ethiopians for the first time.
According to the press release, the OLF National Council has examined the struggle of the Oromo people, the political program of the front, the prevailing conditions that the Ethiopian people suffer under the dictatorship of Meles Zenewi and the necessity of working with all democratic forces in Ethiopian to end the untold misery of Ethiopians under the tyrannical regime.
“The OLF National Council also focused on the timely demand of working with other democratic forces in forming the new Ethiopia that will guarantee and protect the fundamental rights of all peoples in Ethiopia. The new social contract will and should be based on the free will and consent of all peoples in Ethiopia. The previous style that claims “I know for you” should be abolished and replaced with a new vision that is based on peoples’ consent and free will,” the release stated.
The historic statement further noted that OLF would struggle not only for the Oromo people but also the people of Ethiopia suffering under the tyranny and oppression of the TPLF regime. “To fulfill this vision and play crucial roles, not only for the Oromo people, but for all Ethiopian people, the OLF National Council pursuant to the power vested to it by the OLF National Congress effectively amended the OLF political program today, January 1, 2012,” the front said.
The release underscored the fact that the revised OLF political program will “accept the new federal democratic republic of Ethiopia that will work for the betterment of all of its citizens, neighboring countries and international communities.” It also said that the OLF would honor and respect the decisions of the Ethiopian people would make exercising their will under the new federal republic of Ethiopia.
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OLF also urged all democratic forces to work in tandem to make Ethiopia a common home for all its people. It also called on the international community to desist from supporting the tyrannical regime of Meles Zenawi that is “engaged in terrorizing the Ethiopian people, selling the precious resources of the country to the highest bidders, and the government that does not respect the principles of democracy, human rights and rule of law.”
In an interview with ESAT Radio, Dr. Nuro Dedefo, OLF Executive Committee member, has explained that the front has charted out a new vision based on the reality on the ground. He said the new vision of the OLF aspires to liberate the Ethiopian people from the brutal minority rule of the TPLF and establish a new democratic Ethiopia based on the free will of the people to live, work and set up a common country for all. He pointed out that previously OLF used to advocate for the establishment of an Oromo state. As per its new vision, OLF now aspires to establish one country with other Ethiopians, he explained.
Dr. Nuro also underscored that OLF rejects the bogus federal arrangement that has imposed the hegemony of the TPLF on the rest of Ethiopia. According to Dr. Nuro, the OLF wants a real and genuine federal system which clearly shows that OLF broke with the past and embraced Ethiopian unity. “In order to change the racist minority rule of the TPLF and form a new Ethiopia that will be free from absence of the rule of law and rampant abuse of citizens… OLF is ready to work with all Ethiopian democratic forces,” he declared.
He noted that TPLF’s so-called federal arrangement has been designed to divide and rule the people of Ethiopia and impose its hegemony using its servile puppets and messengers. Dr. Nuro has underlined that that OLF’s new vision will put an end to TPLF’s propaganda against OLF, which it tried to present as a secessionist force. “That will put the scheme in the coffin once and for all,” he said.
The OLF official also called upon fellow Ethiopians to work with the OLF in a spirit of trust in order to establish the new Ethiopia, where democracy, justice, respect for human rights and rule of law will be the founding values.
Dr. Nuro told ESAT that the meeting, which was also open for non-Oromo Ethiopians, was exciting to so many Ethiopians that have already endorsed OLF’s new vision that it adopted to end dictatorship, suffering and lawlessness in Ethiopia once and for all in collaboration with any democratic forces.
