Posted in Bloggies on April 03, 2010 by Administrator
Ethiopian court sentenced Oromo nationalists to death and long term imprisonment
Finfinnee (April 2, 2010) - On March 19, 2010 sixteen (16) Oromo nationals were arraigned before an Ethiopian court in Finfinne/Addis Ababa. The federal prosecutor accused these 16 Oromo nationalists of being members of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), a popular political organization among Oromo public, and freedom fighters, even though some of these individuals are known businessmen who have no membership in the OLF. The prosecutor asked the court to hand down death sentence on some of the individuals and lengthy prison sentences on the rest. On this day, the court passed a collective guilty verdict against the sixteen defendants.
Even though the court ordered the defendants to re-appear in court on April 1st, for reasons unknown to the relatives and friends of the defendants, the hearing date was brought forward and took place on March 31, 2010. It is widely suspected that the government is trying to evade publicity changed the date of the hearing. On this day, the court sentenced two of Oromo nationalists to death and the rest of the defendants were sentenced to lengthy prison terms ranging from 10 years to life imprisonments. Judges Sa'adii Huseen and Tahaliit Yimasil pronounced the verdict from the bench. The following is the list of Oromo nationals and the verdict against them.
- Mesfin Abebe Abdisaa death sentence
- Masfi Ittaanaa life imprisonment
- Tasfahuun Camada life imprisonment
- Abarash Yadata (f) 10 years imprisonment
- Lalisee Wadajo (f) 10 years imprisonment (mother of three young children)
- Kol. Olaanii Jabeesa 12 years imprisonment
- Roba Degefa 10 years imprisonment
- Dejene Dhaba 10 years imprisonment
- Bakele Negeri 10 years imprisonment
- Bayisa Hussen 10 years imprisonment
- Hailu Delessa 10 years imprisonment
- Dejene Boranaa 13 years imprisonment (in abstention)
- Bakele Jiraata 13 years imprisonment (in abstention)
- Kabade Borana 12 years imprisonment
- Isheetu Kitil 12 years imprisonment
- Wabee Hajii 12 years imprisonment
Note: Mr. Mesfin Abebe and Mr. Tasfahun Chamada Gurmessa were once legal refugees in Kenya and carried UNHCR ID and lived in Nairobi for a number of years. About two years ago, they were abducted by joint Kenyan and Ethiopian security forces from their residences and detained. They were visited by the UNHCR representatives while in detention and the Kenyan authorities promised to release them. However, soon the Kenyan authorities handed these individuals over to Ethiopian authorities, who transported the victims to Addis Ababa and tortured them. As far as we know, the UNHCR didn’t raise any concern nor did it voice any opposition against this crime. The UNHCR has, thus, failed to carry out its responsibility to protect these political refugees. Now, after over two years in prison, under harsh conditions, their fate was decided; while Mr. Mesfin Abebe awaits his final hour on death row, Mr. Tesfahun Gurmessa will be in prison for life.
Posted in Bloggies on March 15, 2010 by Administrator
2010: Opposition threatened, detained and branded illegal
Detention of political opposition figures has been continuing since the last national election in 2005 and has accelerated in early 2010. Legal Ethiopian opposition parties are complaining of harassment, intimidation and the detention and killing of their members and supporters: this persecution is now officially sanctioned by the government party and is backed by legislation.
Reuters reported on a press conference held by the main opposition coalition, Medrek – the Forum for Democratic Dialogue, on 17 February. Former Ethiopian President, Negasso Gidada, exhibited a government party newsletter which called for the party faithful to ‘track opposition members,’ to follow, photograph and document their movements, and to collect their literature so it could ‘be used against opposition leaders to accuse them and bring them to court’.
To read whole wocument click
HERE
Posted in Bloggies on March 13, 2010 by Administrator
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
March 11, 2010
Ethiopia is a federal republic led by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition. The population is estimated at 77 million. In the 2005 parliamentary elections, the EPRDF won a majority of seats to remain the ruling party for a third consecutive five-year term. In local and by-elections held in April 2008, the EPRDF and allied parties took virtually all of the more than three million open seats contested nationwide. Prior to the vote, ruling coalition agents and supporters used coercive tactics and manipulation of the electoral process, including intimidation of opposition candidates and supporters. Political parties were predominantly ethnically based, and opposition parties remained splintered. During the year fighting between government forces, including local militias, and the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), an ethnically based, nationalist, insurgent movement operating in the Somali Region, resulted in continued allegations of human rights abuses, particularly diversion of food aid from intended beneficiaries suffering from a severe drought. While civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces, there were numerous instances in which elements within those forces acted independently of government authority.
Posted in Bloggies on October 04, 2009 by Administrator
April 5, 2009
“Oromia Human Rights and Justice Council (OHRJC) - individual UPR submission-Ethiopia- November/December 2009”
Introduction
The Oromia Human Rights and Justice Council (OHRJC) is a non-governmental and non-partisan organization established in 2008 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A. to advocate for the protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms of the Oromo and other peoples in Ethiopia and those who have taken refuge in other countries. Its main objective is to promote the value of humanity through advocating respect for human rights in Ethiopia with a special focus on the Oromo people, whom it considers to be the largest and main victim of human right abuse by the current Ethiopian regime.
