| Amnesty International | URGENT |
| EXTERNAL | AI Index: AFR 25/01/98 |
| Further information on UA 330/97 (AFR 25/17/97, 23 October 1997) and follow-up (AFR 25/23/97, 28 November) - Fear for safety / Prisoners of conscience | |
| ETHIOPIA | Solomon
Namara, journalist Tesfaye Deressa, journalist Garoma Bekele, former journalist, human rights activist and new names: Wakshu Bacha, deputy manager, Urji
newspaper |
| Two more staff members of the Oromo
newspaper Urji were arrested in Addis Ababa on 23
December 1997. They are currently held incommunicado in
Maikelawi police investigation centre in Addis Ababa.
They may be prisoners of conscience imprisoned on account
of articles published in their newspaper. They have been taken to court and remanded in custody for two weeks at police request. They have not so far been charged nor have the grounds for their detention been disclosed. As in similar recent cases of imprisonment of Oromo journalists and human rights activists, police are probably alleging they have some involvement with the armed opposition Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). The two other detained Urji journalists, Solomon Namara and Tesfaye Deressa, and former Urji general manager Garoma Bekele, are still held in Maikelawi centre for police investigation. They have not yet been charged with any offence. They now have access to their families and legal counsel but are not allowed to consult their lawyer in private. FURTHER RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send telegrams/faxes/express/airmail letters in English or in your own language: - expressing concern at the arrests of two more Urji staff members, Wakshu Bacha and Alemu Tolessa, who may be prisoners of conscience imprisoned for their professional journalistic work; - calling for them to be either charged with a specific criminal offence or released; - urging that they are allowed regular access to their families, lawyers and medical doctors of their choice if needed, and to consult freely and privately with their legal counsel; - renewing appeals for the immediate and unconditional release of Solomon Namara, Tesfaye Deressa and Garoma Bekele, whom Amnesty International considers to be prisoners of conscience. APPEALS TO: His Excellency Meles Zenawi
[Salutation: Your Excellency] Mr Werede-Wold Wolde [Salutation: Dear
Minister] Colonel Legesse Tegegne [Salutation:
Dear Commissioner] PLEASE SEND COPIES OF YOUR APPEALS TO: His Excellency Dr Solomon Gidada, Embassy of Ethiopia, 17 Prince's Gate, London SW7 1PZ. Fax: 0171 584 7054 AND, IF POSSIBLE, TO THE FOLLOWING: - His Excellency President Negasso Gidada, Office of the President, P O Box 1031, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Fax: +2511 552030 - Mr Kemal Bedri, Chief Justice, Supreme Court, P O Box 6166, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Fax: +2511 550278 - Mr Seyoum Mesfin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, P O Box 393, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Fax: +2511 514300 - Mr Wolde-Michael Chemmu, Minister of Information, Ministry of Information, P O Box 1364, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Urji newspaper, P O Box 9625, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Please do not send appeals after 21 February 1998.
If you have any queries about this Urgent Action or about the UA scheme in general, please contact: Ray Mitchell / Becky Hess |