Source . Abi
On Saturday 6 December2014, the ethnic
based Ethiopian government security forces have arrested leaders of Blue and
other Party leaders, members and supporters at the start of a peaceful public
rally to demand free and fair election. Detainees have been harshly beaten by
sadistic security forces—some very severely.
Blue Party Chairman Eng. Yilkal Getnet
and leaders of other parties along with senior party members have been detained.
This protest rally was organized by a coalition of opposition political parties
fully in compliance with the law.
This is a clear manifestation of the
governing party’s total dictatorship and absolute intolerance for a peaceful
decent At this point; we estimate that it’s at
least over300 people where they have been detained.
.” articles 29 and 30, grants democratic rights to Ethiopian
citizens without distinction [1]. Under these articles, the right of
thought, opinion and expression, the right of assembly, demonstration and
petition are the legitimate rights of Ethiopians through which they can express
their opinions and dissatisfactions with the performances and activities of
their government. The UN Human Rights council 19th Session (A/HRC/19/L.17), on
March 19, 2012 and 25th
Session (A/HRC/25/L.20,)
on March 24, 2014 Resolutions
#2 calls upon governments to uphold their responsibilities
to promote and protect human rights in the context of peaceful protests “
States have the responsibility, including in the context of peaceful protests,
to promote and protect human rights and to prevent human rights violations,
including extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, arbitrary arrest and
detention, enforced disappearances, and torture and other cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment, and calls upon States to avoid the abuse of
criminal and civil proceedings or threats of such acts at ALL times;”However, in the past two decades, the current Ethiopian
government has failed to protect the constitutional rights of citizens. Since
the current government came to power in 1991, thousands of citizens who held a
political agenda different from the ruling party were systematically jailed,
abducted or killed. Journalists and human rights activists who were/are
critical of the government were charged with treason and thrown into Ethiopian
prisons.
Students and teachers, those who demanded their fundamental
rights on university campuses and high schools and elsewhere, who peacefully took
to the streets to demand their rights, were beaten, arrested and detained or
even killed.
The Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa has been reporting in
different ways on the systematic human rights violations by the Ethiopian
government and its security agents against peaceful demonstrators. Targeted Human Rights
Violation in Oromia regional
Despite
Norway’s assistance and the long history of relation with Ethiopia, Ethiopia is
now one of the worst countries in terms of human rights and poverty. In
Ethiopia, there is increased and serious human rights violation, especially
during the last 24 years of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic
Front (EPRDF) rule.
As the
international human rights organizations repeatedly reports, the repression in
Ethiopia is getting worse from time to time. To date the opposition parties,
free media and freedom of expression are almost non-existent. The EPRDF
government has silenced the Ethiopian people using the draconian proclamations,
particularly the ‘Antiterrorism law’, ‘the media law’ and ‘the NGO law’.
Hundreds of free journalists, opposition leaders and activists are languishing
in the notorious prisons accused for terrorism. Torture and related
mishandlings are rampant in the country.
The police,
judiciary, military, election commission and media are not independent, and are
totally controlled by the ruling party. The opposition has only one seat in the
parliament.
The Ethiopian
institution of the Ombudsman was supposed to be independent, objective and a
critical element for the implementation of justice. This institution however is
fully controlled by EPRDF and leaders, like Mrs Foziya Amina, are members of
the Central Executive of EPRDF. Hence, no opposition or other victim of the
ruling party expects justice from the entire Ombudsman service run by members of
the ruling party. Despite this fact, Norway is one of the countries that fund
the symbolic Ethiopian Ombudsman through UNDP.
As the
crackdown increases and the political space for the opposition is getting
narrower, a number of oppositions could not operate in the country. One of the
very few strong opposition parties registered in the country and trying its
best facing the daily hurdles is the Blue party. This party has faced a number
of crackdown attempts by the ruling party.
Recent peaceful demonstration
arranged by 9 opposition parties on 06/12/2014, the repression escalated after
brutal police suppression of the protests. Youth protesters and leaders of the
Blue Party are severely injured, some with a head injury and several with
broken arms or legs. They are denied access to medical treatment and separately
put in dark cells. Chairman of the Blue Party, Yilkal Getnet is one of
them whom were brutally beaten by the police.
There are many other protesters who are badly injured
following the police brutality. There are several women among the injured
members and leaders of the Blue Party and other political leaders
and member of the general public are detailed
1).Yilkal Getnet, Chairman of Blue Party
2) Alesa Mengesha
3) Ato Erchafo
4) Woretaw Wassie
5) Brhanu TekleYared
6) Eyerusalem Tesfaw
7) Belay Manaye
8) Woynishet Molla
9) Samuel Abebe Mekonnen
10) Eyasped Tesfaye
11) Meron Alemayehu
12) Nigist Wondifraw
13) Woynishet Nigussie
14) Mignote Makonnen
15) Abel Ephrem
16) Ephrem Degifie
17) Hailemariam T Giorgis
18) Meron
19) Abrahim Abdulselam
2) Alesa Mengesha
3) Ato Erchafo
4) Woretaw Wassie
5) Brhanu TekleYared
6) Eyerusalem Tesfaw
7) Belay Manaye
8) Woynishet Molla
9) Samuel Abebe Mekonnen
10) Eyasped Tesfaye
11) Meron Alemayehu
12) Nigist Wondifraw
13) Woynishet Nigussie
14) Mignote Makonnen
15) Abel Ephrem
16) Ephrem Degifie
17) Hailemariam T Giorgis
18) Meron
19) Abrahim Abdulselam
We are deeply
concerned by the continued detention of members of the Blue Party leadership
and members and the narrowing of the political space in Ethiopia. The Blue
Party of Ethiopia intends to make a complaint to the Ethiopian Institution of
the Ombudsman (EIO), but as described above, the EIO cannot consider any
complaint impartially and independently. Repeated attempts to crack down the
Blue Party have become a tool to intimidate critics and weaken Political
dissent. As a self-proclaimed Democratic Party, the current ruling EPRDF must
put an Immediate end to police intimidation against the Blue Party.
We therefore,
kindly urge your government to use your bilateral relations with the Ethiopian
government to comply with the Ethiopian government’s human rights obligations
and to drop all cases against the detainees and unconditionally release them.
Additionally, put pressure on the ruling government and party to free the
people and the opposition to exercise its basic rights for peaceful assembly,
expression and association.
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