Birtukan Mideksa, lawyer, former judge and Vice president of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) Dr Yacob Hailemariam, lawyer, former UN Special Envoy and a Prosecutor at the international Criminal Court for Rwanda and CUD member of parliament; and Daniel Bekele, lawyer and Policy Director of the Ethiopian office of ActionAid as well as other CUD parliamentarians or members * were charged on 21 December 2005 by the High Court in Addis Ababa with a range of criminal offences, most of which are punishable by death.  These charges include “outrages against the Constitution”; obstructing the National Election Board; inciting and organizing armed uprising; endangering the integrity of the state; and high treason. Most are also charged with "genocide", on the basis of allegations of the beating of an ethnic Tigrayan, arson against the property of two Tigrayans, causing fear and mental harm to members of an ethnic group, and harming members of the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) by excluding them from social events and funerals.

They have been involved in non-violent legitimate political activities, including demonstrations, to protest the contested results of the parliamentary elections which took place on 15 May. 

All the defendants are currently held in Kaliti prison in Addis Ababa, and allowed only restricted access to their families and legal representatives.

In total, 131 individuals and organizations were charged. The individual defendants, of whom about 88 are in custody, include 40 opposition party leaders or supporters detained since early November 2005 ; 10 newly-elected members of parliament ; three prominent human rights defenders (Professor Mesfin Woldemariam, Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie) ; 15 independent journalists ; 30 people of Ethiopian origin who have been long resident abroad, including five journalists with the Voice of America radio station ; and many members of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD). Five independent news organizations have also been charged, and all four political parties belonging to the CUD coalition. Arrests are continuing and more people may be charged.

The 131 defendants were split into groups facing different charges. The charges include "outrages against the Constitution" ; obstructing the National Election Board ; inciting and organizing armed uprising ; endangering the integrity of the state ; and high treason. Most are also charged with "genocide", on the basis of allegations of the beating of an ethnic Tigrayan, arson against the property of two Tigrayans, causing fear and mental harm to members of an ethnic group, and harming members of the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) by excluding them from social events and funerals.

Amnesty International considers all those named above to be prisoners of conscience. Many others of the accused may also be prisoners of conscience. Several had begun a hunger strike in late November, in protest at being detained without charge. This ended in mid-December. On 18 January CUD leaders said they would not attempt to mount a defence during their trial, as the proceedings were unfair. All the defendants are currently held in Kaliti prison in Addis Ababa, with access to their families and legal representatives severely restricted, and not possible in private.

* Dr Hailu Araya, Hailu Shawel,  Dr Berhanu Negga, Getachew Mengiste, Professor Gizachew Shifferaw and Dr Befekadu Degefe; Professor Mesfin Woldemariam, aged 75, founder and former Chair of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council; Debebe Eshetu, CUD public relations officer; Muluneh Eyual, CUD Secretary General; and Netsanet Demissie, President, Organisation for Social Justice in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Several thousand suspected government opponents from the CUD and other opposition parties are reportedly still detained without charge as a result of demonstrations that have been underway since November 2005 in Addis Ababa and other towns against alleged fraud in the parliamentary elections of 15 May 2005. The ruling EPRDF gained two-thirds of the seats. Police shot dead 42 demonstrators and wounded 200 others during the protests in early November. Schoolchildren, college students and teachers are among thousands of demonstrators detained in the past few weeks, particularly in Addis Ababa and the Amhara and Oromia regions. The protests led to violence on both sides, with many people reportedly severely beaten by soldiers and police and some killed. There have been reports of detainees held incommunicado in rural prisons and army camps being tortured, with several deaths.

RECOMMENDED ACTION : Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in English or your own language :

• expressing concern that peaceful opponents of the government, as well as human rights defenders, are facing charges which can carry the death penalty ;
• appealing to the authorities to release all those named above immediately and unconditionally, as they are prisoners of conscience, detained solely for the peaceful expression of their opinions ;
• calling for all of them to be allowed regular private access to their families and legal representatives while they remain in custody.

APPEALS TO :

Prime Minister His Excellency Meles Zenawi,

Office of the Prime Minister, PO Box 1031, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Fax : + 251 11 552020/ + 251 11 552030 ,

Salutation : Your Excellency

Minister of Justice : Mr Assefa Kesito,

Ministry of Justice, PO Box 1370, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Fax : + 251 11 517775/ + 251 11 520874

Email :ministry-justice@telecom.net.et Salutation : Dear Minister

Federal Commissioner of Police : Mr Workneh Gebeyehu,

Salutation : Dear Commissioner

COPIES TO :

Minister of Foreign Affairs : Mr Seyoum Mesfin,

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PO Box 393, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Fax : + 251 11 514300

Email :mfa.addis@telecom.net.et

Ambassade de la République fédérale démocratique d’Ethiopie

Avenue de Tervuren 231,

Fax : 02.771.49.14 Email : etebru@brutele.be

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of the Law Society of England and Wales.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.