Abbay Media
Shiberu Tamerat
The organization known as the Association for Human Rights in Ethiopia (AHRE) headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland reported its findings on the state of human rights conditions in Ethiopia.
The report focuses on human rights situation in Ethiopia, the difficult working conditions under which human rights defenders operate and the impact of the new oppressive law on the work of human rights advocates. Human right defenders are constantly facing detention, torture and death threats from authorities in Ethiopia. A number of them are forced to flee the country to avoid imminent danger to their lives. While Ethiopia has registered some economic progress the human right situation in the country is deteriorating.
The director of (ARHE), Mr. Yared Hailemariam, in his interview with the BBC regarding the report described the appalling state of the rights to freedom of expression and the complete absence of citizen’s basic right to association and assembly in the country. The recent protests across the different regions of the country are due to the people’s frustration with the government. The report aims to shed light to the plight of human right defenders, journalists and civic institutions and the suffering and injustice they endure in the hands of the security forces for speaking up in spite of the obstacles put up by the government.
Although the report commends the government of Ethiopia for the recent announcement promising to release political prisoners to date he has not seen a single journalist or human right activist released remarked Mr. Hailemariam. He expects to see the government releasing not only prominent politicians, but also those jailed for exercising their right to freedom of expression protected under the constitution.
According to AHRE the draconian law introduced in the wake of the controversial election of 2005 is strictly limiting the freedom of journalists, human rights advocates and non government agencies and severely narrowed civic space. Currently the political environment in Ethiopia is not conducive for members of the civic society, journalists, human right advocates, bloggers and individuals who express their opinions using other mediums. The government keeps a tight lid on everything.
The report denounced the use of excessive force by security forces against peaceful protesters across the country the last two years including the actions of government forces against peaceful protesters in Northern Wollo region during the last two weeks that resulted in the loss of many lives and the imprisonment of thousands more.
The report recommends steps that needs be taken by the government of Ethiopia and the international community to improve human rights conditions. First the report urges the government of Ethiopia to remove immediately from the constitution threats to citizens rights to free speech. Second unconditionally releasing jailed journalist, human right advocates, politicians and including jailed peaceful protesters across the country the past few years. In particular the report emphasized the government should immediately cease using live ammunition against peaceful protesters across the country. Finally the report recommends the international community along with other interested bodies to start brokering a conference in earnest between the Ethiopian government and all stakeholders both inside and outside of the country to improve national dialogue and understanding among the people of Ethiopia and find a lasting solution to the political stalemate the country find itself.
