Ethiopia:
Amnesty International 2010 Annual Report
on Human Rights
27 May, 2010 | Amnesty International
Events of 2009
Some 26 people were convicted in November in the trial of more
than 30 former military officers and Ginbot 7 party officials accused
of plotting an armed attack on the government. Ethiopian security
forces continued to carry out periodic arrests of Oromo political
leaders, businessmen and their family members, who were often
detained, sometimes without charge, for prolonged periods.
Sporadic fighting continued between Ethiopian National Defense
Forces (ENDF) and armed opposition Ogaden National Liberation
Front (ONLF) in the Somali Region (known as the Ogaden). Up to
6.2 million Ethiopians, many in the Somali Region, required
emergency assistance because of severe drought. International
donor support for humanitarian operations was insufficient.
Background
Legislation was passed restricting civil society groups and broadening
the reach of counter-terror operations. Human rights defenders chose to
limit their own activities and journalists to self-censor in a climate of
heightened anxiety over repression.
By the end of January, nearly all remaining Ethiopian troops based in
Somalia had been withdrawn, although there were reports of sporadic
cross-border incursions, particularly in the area of Beletweyne,
throughout much of the year. Ethiopian government officials were also
reported to have played a role in mediating negotiations between the
President of Somaliland and opposition party leaders in September in
Hargeisa, Somaliland. At that time, a crisis over repeated delays in
national elections brought the self-declared independent country to the
brink of violence (see Somalia entry).
While the government of Ethiopia hosted thousands of Eritrean, Somali
and other refugees from the Horn of Africa, an increasing number of
prominent opposition figures fled Ethiopia. These included human rights
defenders and journalists who were harassed and intimidated by the
authorities, leading them to believe that their arrest and detention could
be imminent.
In September, more than 9,500 prisoners were released by the central
government and by governments in the Amhara and Oromia regions, in
a mass amnesty celebrating the Ethiopian New Year.
Prisoners of conscience and other political prisoners
The government continued to hold several prisoners of conscience and
a large number of political prisoners in detention.
* Former judge and Unity for Democracy and Justice Party leader
Birtukan Mideksa remained in detention, serving a life sentence, since
she was re-arrested in December 2008. Following international calls to
improve her prison conditions, government officials moved her out of
solitary confinement and she was later detained with other women
prisoners. She received regular family visits but her lawyer reportedly
had only intermittent access to her.
* Twenty-six former military officers and others affiliated with the
Ginbot 7 political party, led by Berhanu Negga, were convicted on
several charges related to planning an attack on the government early in
the year. Those detained for many months in this case included Ginbot
7 party leader Andargachew Tsige’s father, 80-year-old Tsige
Habtemariam, believed to be in very poor health. Eighteen of the
defendants were reported to have been tortured and otherwise ill-treated
upon their arrest by Ethiopian security forces in May.
* Prisoner of conscience Sultan Fowsi Mohamed Ali, an independent
mediator, remained in prison. He was arrested in Jijiga in September
2007, reportedly to prevent him from giving evidence to a UN fact-
finding mission in the Somali Region.
* Bashir Makhtal, a Canadian citizen, was sentenced to life
imprisonment on 3 August. He had been convicted on 27 July on four
terror-related charges, including being a member of the ONLF. The
government denied allegations that his trial was unfair. Bashir Makhtal
consistently denied all charges. On 4 December, the Supreme Court
heard his appeal, but upheld the conviction and sentence. His brother,
Hassan Makhtal, was released from prison in October and died in
November, reportedly from complications due to ill-treatment in
detention.
Freedom of expression
The authorities introduced various laws which negatively affected
freedom of expression. Media workers were harassed by the authorities.
Charities and Societies Proclamation
In January, Parliament passed the Charities and Societies Proclamation,
imposing strict controls and restrictions on civil society organizations
whose work included human rights. If this law is enforced, international
organizations would also be restricted from working on a range of
human rights and democracy issues in Ethiopia without special
permission. Similarly, local groups would be barred from human rights
activities if they receive more than 10 per cent of their income from
foreign sources, despite the fact that most depend heavily on support
from outside Ethiopia. Even minor breaches of the law’s provisions
could invite severe criminal penalties, including fines and imprisonment.
The Proclamation established a Charities and Societies Agency with
broad discretionary power, including surveillance and interference in the
management and operations of local organizations. The new law,
expected to be implemented in early January 2010, puts at serious risk
the ability of local and international organizations to monitor, report and
advocate against human rights violations in Ethiopia. Some human rights
groups scaled back their operations in the interim. Reregistration of local
organizations under the new law began in October.
Anti-Terrorism Proclamation
In July, parliament passed the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation which
restricted freedom of expression, and may restrict peaceful assembly
and the right to a fair trial – with serious implications in the run-up to
Ethiopia’s 2010 parliamentary elections. According to the Proclamation,
“acts of terrorism” include damage to property and disruption of public
services, for which an individual could be sentenced to 15 years in
prison or even the death penalty. The Proclamation’s definition of “acts
of terrorism” is vague and could encompass legitimate expressions of
dissent.
* In November and December, Addis Neger, a major publishing
company, was threatened with closure and several of its reporters
threatened with arrest, reportedly under the new Anti-Terrorism
Proclamation. By the end of the year a number of journalists from the
company had fled the country.
Media suppression
* Ibrahim Mohamed Ali, editor of the Salafiyya newspaper, and
AsratWedajo, editor of the former Seife Nebelbal newspaper, were each
sentenced to one year in prison on charges linked to stories reporting
human rights violations dating back to 2005. They were reportedly tried
under an outdated press law which had since been superseded by a new
media law passed in 2008.
* The owners of several of the largest newspapers, which were closed
during the government’s 2005 media crackdown, were threatened in
November with a summons to appear before the Ethiopian Supreme
Court. They were asked to pay fines, imposed on them as part of their
2005 convictions, which reportedly had previously been waived.
Repression of dissent
The government of Ethiopia continued to suppress dissent in the Oromia
Region of Ethiopia, and detained hundreds of people suspected of
supporting the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). Many were believed to
have been held in incommunicado detention and many were detained
without trial. Court proceedings were frequently and repeatedly delayed.
Detainees were often held in poor conditions; some were reportedly ill-
treated. Group arrests and detentions of Oromo leaders, activists and
businesspeople continued sporadically throughout the year. Many of
these arrests and detentions were reported to have been politically
motivated.
* Opposition political parties accused the government of arresting their
members ahead of the scheduled 2010 elections; the majority of those
named in lists of detainees were Oromo.
* There were also reports of arrests, cases of rape and extrajudicial
executions by government forces of suspected supporters of the ONLF
in the Somali Region of Ethiopia. Although international fact-finding
missions led to some alleviation of the humanitarian crisis in the region,
Ethiopian authorities continued to place restrictions on humanitarian aid
in some areas.
Death penalty
Death sentences were imposed but no executions were reported.
* On 2 September, the Ethiopian Federal High Court sentenced six
people to death and 97 others to prison terms on charges of genocide in
relation to violence between residents of the Benishangul Gumuz and
Oromia regions over a border dispute.
* On 25 December, five men were sentenced to death, four in absentia,
and 32 men and one woman to life imprisonment on charges related to
an aborted coup attempt in April and May.
Amnesty International visit/reports
- Amnesty International delegates visited Ethiopia in September.
- Ethiopia: Arbitrary detention/torture or other ill-treatment: Birtukan
Mideksa (AFR 25/003/2009)
- Ethiopia: Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review (AFR
25/004/2009)
- Ethiopia: Canadian citizen sentenced to life: Bashir Makhtal (AFR
25/006/2009)
- Ethiopia: Government passes repressive new legislation, 6 January
2009
- Ethiopia: Government must reveal fate of political prisoners, 5 May
2009
- Ethiopia: New Anti-Terrorism Proclamation jeopardizes freedom of
expression, 7 July 2009
Courtesy
Amnesty International 2010 Annual Report
on Human Rights
27 May, 2010 | Amnesty International
Events of 2009
- Freedom of association and expression,
and the work of human rights groups,
were limited by new laws introduced in
the first half of the year. Human rights
defenders were harassed, with some
fleeing the country to avoid arrest and
detention. Opposition party leader
Birtukan Mideksa, who was re-arrested
Some 26 people were convicted in November in the trial of more
than 30 former military officers and Ginbot 7 party officials accused
of plotting an armed attack on the government. Ethiopian security
forces continued to carry out periodic arrests of Oromo political
leaders, businessmen and their family members, who were often
detained, sometimes without charge, for prolonged periods.
Sporadic fighting continued between Ethiopian National Defense
Forces (ENDF) and armed opposition Ogaden National Liberation
Front (ONLF) in the Somali Region (known as the Ogaden). Up to
6.2 million Ethiopians, many in the Somali Region, required
emergency assistance because of severe drought. International
donor support for humanitarian operations was insufficient.
Background
Legislation was passed restricting civil society groups and broadening
the reach of counter-terror operations. Human rights defenders chose to
limit their own activities and journalists to self-censor in a climate of
heightened anxiety over repression.
By the end of January, nearly all remaining Ethiopian troops based in
Somalia had been withdrawn, although there were reports of sporadic
cross-border incursions, particularly in the area of Beletweyne,
throughout much of the year. Ethiopian government officials were also
reported to have played a role in mediating negotiations between the
President of Somaliland and opposition party leaders in September in
Hargeisa, Somaliland. At that time, a crisis over repeated delays in
national elections brought the self-declared independent country to the
brink of violence (see Somalia entry).
While the government of Ethiopia hosted thousands of Eritrean, Somali
and other refugees from the Horn of Africa, an increasing number of
prominent opposition figures fled Ethiopia. These included human rights
defenders and journalists who were harassed and intimidated by the
authorities, leading them to believe that their arrest and detention could
be imminent.
In September, more than 9,500 prisoners were released by the central
government and by governments in the Amhara and Oromia regions, in
a mass amnesty celebrating the Ethiopian New Year.
Prisoners of conscience and other political prisoners
The government continued to hold several prisoners of conscience and
a large number of political prisoners in detention.
* Former judge and Unity for Democracy and Justice Party leader
Birtukan Mideksa remained in detention, serving a life sentence, since
she was re-arrested in December 2008. Following international calls to
improve her prison conditions, government officials moved her out of
solitary confinement and she was later detained with other women
prisoners. She received regular family visits but her lawyer reportedly
had only intermittent access to her.
* Twenty-six former military officers and others affiliated with the
Ginbot 7 political party, led by Berhanu Negga, were convicted on
several charges related to planning an attack on the government early in
the year. Those detained for many months in this case included Ginbot
7 party leader Andargachew Tsige’s father, 80-year-old Tsige
Habtemariam, believed to be in very poor health. Eighteen of the
defendants were reported to have been tortured and otherwise ill-treated
upon their arrest by Ethiopian security forces in May.
* Prisoner of conscience Sultan Fowsi Mohamed Ali, an independent
mediator, remained in prison. He was arrested in Jijiga in September
2007, reportedly to prevent him from giving evidence to a UN fact-
finding mission in the Somali Region.
* Bashir Makhtal, a Canadian citizen, was sentenced to life
imprisonment on 3 August. He had been convicted on 27 July on four
terror-related charges, including being a member of the ONLF. The
government denied allegations that his trial was unfair. Bashir Makhtal
consistently denied all charges. On 4 December, the Supreme Court
heard his appeal, but upheld the conviction and sentence. His brother,
Hassan Makhtal, was released from prison in October and died in
November, reportedly from complications due to ill-treatment in
detention.
Freedom of expression
The authorities introduced various laws which negatively affected
freedom of expression. Media workers were harassed by the authorities.
Charities and Societies Proclamation
In January, Parliament passed the Charities and Societies Proclamation,
imposing strict controls and restrictions on civil society organizations
whose work included human rights. If this law is enforced, international
organizations would also be restricted from working on a range of
human rights and democracy issues in Ethiopia without special
permission. Similarly, local groups would be barred from human rights
activities if they receive more than 10 per cent of their income from
foreign sources, despite the fact that most depend heavily on support
from outside Ethiopia. Even minor breaches of the law’s provisions
could invite severe criminal penalties, including fines and imprisonment.
The Proclamation established a Charities and Societies Agency with
broad discretionary power, including surveillance and interference in the
management and operations of local organizations. The new law,
expected to be implemented in early January 2010, puts at serious risk
the ability of local and international organizations to monitor, report and
advocate against human rights violations in Ethiopia. Some human rights
groups scaled back their operations in the interim. Reregistration of local
organizations under the new law began in October.
Anti-Terrorism Proclamation
In July, parliament passed the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation which
restricted freedom of expression, and may restrict peaceful assembly
and the right to a fair trial – with serious implications in the run-up to
Ethiopia’s 2010 parliamentary elections. According to the Proclamation,
“acts of terrorism” include damage to property and disruption of public
services, for which an individual could be sentenced to 15 years in
prison or even the death penalty. The Proclamation’s definition of “acts
of terrorism” is vague and could encompass legitimate expressions of
dissent.
* In November and December, Addis Neger, a major publishing
company, was threatened with closure and several of its reporters
threatened with arrest, reportedly under the new Anti-Terrorism
Proclamation. By the end of the year a number of journalists from the
company had fled the country.
Media suppression
* Ibrahim Mohamed Ali, editor of the Salafiyya newspaper, and
AsratWedajo, editor of the former Seife Nebelbal newspaper, were each
sentenced to one year in prison on charges linked to stories reporting
human rights violations dating back to 2005. They were reportedly tried
under an outdated press law which had since been superseded by a new
media law passed in 2008.
* The owners of several of the largest newspapers, which were closed
during the government’s 2005 media crackdown, were threatened in
November with a summons to appear before the Ethiopian Supreme
Court. They were asked to pay fines, imposed on them as part of their
2005 convictions, which reportedly had previously been waived.
Repression of dissent
The government of Ethiopia continued to suppress dissent in the Oromia
Region of Ethiopia, and detained hundreds of people suspected of
supporting the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). Many were believed to
have been held in incommunicado detention and many were detained
without trial. Court proceedings were frequently and repeatedly delayed.
Detainees were often held in poor conditions; some were reportedly ill-
treated. Group arrests and detentions of Oromo leaders, activists and
businesspeople continued sporadically throughout the year. Many of
these arrests and detentions were reported to have been politically
motivated.
* Opposition political parties accused the government of arresting their
members ahead of the scheduled 2010 elections; the majority of those
named in lists of detainees were Oromo.
* There were also reports of arrests, cases of rape and extrajudicial
executions by government forces of suspected supporters of the ONLF
in the Somali Region of Ethiopia. Although international fact-finding
missions led to some alleviation of the humanitarian crisis in the region,
Ethiopian authorities continued to place restrictions on humanitarian aid
in some areas.
Death penalty
Death sentences were imposed but no executions were reported.
* On 2 September, the Ethiopian Federal High Court sentenced six
people to death and 97 others to prison terms on charges of genocide in
relation to violence between residents of the Benishangul Gumuz and
Oromia regions over a border dispute.
* On 25 December, five men were sentenced to death, four in absentia,
and 32 men and one woman to life imprisonment on charges related to
an aborted coup attempt in April and May.
Amnesty International visit/reports
- Amnesty International delegates visited Ethiopia in September.
- Ethiopia: Arbitrary detention/torture or other ill-treatment: Birtukan
Mideksa (AFR 25/003/2009)
- Ethiopia: Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review (AFR
25/004/2009)
- Ethiopia: Canadian citizen sentenced to life: Bashir Makhtal (AFR
25/006/2009)
- Ethiopia: Government passes repressive new legislation, 6 January
2009
- Ethiopia: Government must reveal fate of political prisoners, 5 May
2009
- Ethiopia: New Anti-Terrorism Proclamation jeopardizes freedom of
expression, 7 July 2009
Courtesy
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| A row over human rights Feb.5 ( Economist ) - INDEPENDENT voices in Ethiopia are finding it ever harder to be heard. Suffocated by an irascible government,... More |
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| Related Stories Human Rights Watch World Report 2010 Human Rights Watch Ethiopia: Amend Draft Law Human Rights Watch New Ethiopia law may criminalise opposition - group By Barry Malone The law would classify acts that cause serious damage to property or disruption of a public service as terrorism. It would also criminalise speech that may be interpreted as "encouraging terrorism". Reuters Ethiopia's opposition parties resist new draft law on terrorism Ethiopia’s opposition political parties and parliamentary members strongly opposed a new anti- terrorism draft proclamation... Sudan Tribune Is Rock Throwing Punishable by Death in Ethiopia? New Draft of Ethiopian “Anti-Terrorism Proclamation” Revealed SMNE |
