| Amnesty International | URGENT |
| EXTERNAL | EXTERNAL AI Index: AFR 25/04/98 |
| Further information on EXTRA 153/97 (AFR 25/19/97, 6 November 1997) and follow-ups (AFR 25/20/97, 11 November 1997, AFR 25/22/97, 27 November 1997) - Fear of torture / Probable prisoners of conscience and new concerns: Legal concern / Medical concern | |
| ETHIOPIA | Beyene
Abdi, 72, former judge Beyene Belissa, 50, amputee, telecommunications manager Hussein Abdi, 50, Mecha Tulema Association office manager, former Ministry of Foreign Affairs employee Haji Sahlu Kafte, 62, retired civil servant, former Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs member Gabissa Lemessa, Save the Children Fund accountant Tilahun Hirpasa, former Oromo Relief Association official, ex-teacher Zewde Chamada Adam Hussen Adugna Fitee Mohamed Wayu Gadissa Boltossa Addisu Beyene, general secretary of the Oromo Relief Association Hailu Tarfassa Tasso, Ethiopian Evangelical Mekane Yesus Church hostel manager |
| Most of the above-named
prisoners are among 31 Oromos charged in late January
1998 with armed conspiracy and providing support to armed
activities of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). Full
details of the charges are not yet known but some are
believed to relate to bombings in Addis Ababa in 1997.
They are all (including now Hussein Abdi, previously
detained in the Menelik Palace) held in the Maikelawi
police investigation centre in Addis Ababa. Amnesty International believes that the Human Rights League officials who have been charged (Beyene Abdi, Beyene Belissa, Hussein Abdi, Haji Sahlu Kafte, Gabissa Lemessa, Tilahun Hirpasa, Addisu Beyene, and also Garuma Bekelle, the general secretary - see UA 330/97 update, 28 November 1997, AFR 25/23/97) are prisoners of conscience, imprisoned on account of their human rights activities, although the government denies this. Others among the 31 may also be prisoners of conscience. Although they have all now been granted access to family and to their lawyers, they are being denied private consultations with their lawyers. Denial of confidential communication between a defendant and their lawyer is a violation of the rights of defence and fair trial. Apart from the ill-treatment of Beyene Belissa, an amputee, Amnesty International has not received any other reports of ill-treatment of the prisoners. Medical treatment in the prison is very poor, with delays in obtaining access to a medical doctor outside. It is not known when the trial, expected to take a long time, will start, due to a severe shortage of judges after many of them were dismissed. The penalty, if convicted, is between five years' imprisonment and death. %%Following their arrests in November 1997, arrests of other Oromos suspected of having links with the OLF are still continuing. A few have been released. The OLF has been fighting government forces in the Oromo region since 1992 when it left the government coalition. FURTHER RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send telegrams/faxes/express/airmail letters in English or in your own language:
APPEALS TO: His Excellency Meles
Zenawi Mr Werede-Wold Wolde AND, IF POSSIBLE, TO THE FOLLOWING: His Excellency President
Negasso Gidada, Office of the President, Mr Kemal Bedri, Chief
Justice, Supreme Court, P O Box 6166, Addis Mr Seyoum Mesfin, Minister
of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Human Rights League, P O Box 20600, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Please do not send appeals after 16 March 1998. If you
have any queries about this Urgent Action or about the UA
scheme in general, please contact: |