HE Ato Meles Zenawi
Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
P.O.Box 1031
Addis Ababa
ETHIOPIA

Mr. Prime Minister
We, members of the parliament of Finland, heard sad news that Deputy Editor-in-Chief Tesfaye Dheressa and Acting Editor-in-Chief Solomon Namarra of URJII weekly Newspaper were detained by security forces in Addis Ababa on 16/10/97.

Ever since family members, relatives or friends have received no information of their condition or whereabouts.

We express our deep concern of their situation, and would like to know on what grounds the detention took place and what legal actions are prepared if any. We strongly urge that their physical or mental health will not be violated.

We require that Your Government respects international human rights treaties and also the very spirit of the Constitution of Ethiopia and thus demand immediate release of Tesfaye Dheressa and Solomon Namarra.

Sincerely

CC:

Dr. Negaso Gidada
President of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia
P.O.Box 1031
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia

Mr. Woredwold Woldemichael
Minister of Justice of Federal Republic of Ethiopia
P.O.Box 1379
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia

Mr. Kamal Bedri
President of the Federal Supreme Court of Federal Republic of Ethiopia
P.O.Box 6166
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia

Council of peoples' representatives of Federal Republic of Ethiopia
P.O.Box 80001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia

HE Tewolde Gebru
Ambassador of Ethiopia
Stockholm
Sweden

The Ethiopian Human Rights Council
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia

Mr. Garoma Bekele
General Secretary
Human Rights League
P.O.Box 20600
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel. (251-1) 165467
Fax. (251-1) 513023

The Minister for Foreign Affairs
The Minister for Development Cooperation
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
Helsinki
Finland

The Embassy of Finland
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia

United Nations Commission
on Human Rights (UNCHR)
8-14. Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneve 10,
Switzerland

To Previous Page