borkena
September 6, 2019
In the past, the name Maekelawi sounded for most Ethiopians as a name synonymous with torture. For a reason. It has served nearly for four decades as a torture chamber during Colonel Mengistu Hailemariam’s regime and during TPLF regime whose main architect was the late Meles Zenawi.
That dark image of Maekelawi is now history as Ethiopian government turned the facility into a museum in what seems to be a gesture to signify a break from the past in terms of human rights violation (of course many Ethiopians do not seem to buy this narrative as the practice of arbitrary detention is still existent)
Located in the center of Addis Ababa, the government officially opened Maekelawi for the public on Friday in the form of a museum. It is opened on the occasion of Justice Day which will be celebrated on September 10, 2019.
As the ruling coalition, Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), faced mounting protests across the country before Abiy Ahmed assumed office, the executive committee of the party held a meeting on December 2017 and decided to close down Maekelawi.
It has been closed for over a year now. Meaza Ashenafi, Ethiopia’s chief justice, said, as reported by Fana Broadcasting Corporation (FBC), that the facility is opened on Friday for the public as a museum with the intention to learn from past mistakes.
She also said that the way to heal from the past is by enforcing the rule of law.
Those who were once prisoners in the facility say that they have experienced horrifying torture. Apart from physical torture, prisoners also experienced psychological torture in the form of unimaginable living conditions from the point of view of sanitation. Some of Maekelawi prison cells did not get any sunlight as they did not have windows.
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This is very encouraging news. What can I say? Hail To The Chief!!! O Our Women!!!! All Glory To Our Daughter/Sister Her Excellency Meaza bint Ashenafi!!!! I told you so!!! I told you about the inherent ingenuity of them!!! I hope and pray that someday sooner if not later before my last day on this Blessed Earth that I will see a woman PM. and every ruling and opposition party being led by women with ruling majority in parliament. We men have been making nothing a mess after a mess for thousands of years over there. When it comes to politics, we have gone stubbornly arrogant and sick in mind. Now this firebrand, this fearless Meaza is someone you don’t wanna pick a fight with!!!
Go get’em tigress!!!
THis is to buld the PM image they still have somewhere else to torture people. It is matter of relocation of the arena of torture
damn Abiy gambling politics
Pm Abiye…what a human being you are! When others sleep you dream, when others crawl you leap, when others look back you look to the future…. remain steadfast in your message. Too bad some of us failed to meet your expectation. May God enrich your life with abundant peace and happiness..
tebab amhara buchula melaku you must be seeking sth in return
bulshit ya lemagn