Tamrat Negera has not appeared in court yet and families do not know his whereabouts
borkena
Four days after news of his arrest, the whereabouts of Tamirat Negera, journalist and founder of Terara Network, remains unknown. His family is worried.
Terara Network on Monday said “his families disclosed that they are worried because they are not informed where he is arrested.”
They have not been able to deliver clothing, food and medications for Tamrat.
He was arrested on Friday from his residence in the capital Addis Ababa. He was first taken to the 3rd Division Police Station but was later reportedly transferred to Oromia police whose jurisdiction does not include Addis Ababa city.
On Saturday, his families headed to Oromia police around Sidist Kilo and Global branches of the Oromia police but they could not meet him there either.
According to reports from Terara Network, they were even told to check the police stations in Burayu and Gelan Condominiums. They have checked them all but could not still see journalist Tamerat Negera.
On Monday, they had to check with the Third Division Police Station of Addis Ababa Police. But they were told that they might have the wrong address of Gelan Police station. It also confirmed that Oromia police are handling his case.
The family has reported the case to Ethiopian Human Rights Commission with a request to follow up the case.
Journalist Tamrat Negera has been a vocal critic of radicalised ethnic nationalism and ethnic federalism. He has been an advocate of a Federal system where the rights, mobility and right to work of Ethiopians, irrespective of ethnic background, is respected in all parts of Ethiopia. He has been also a vocal critic of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government handling of the security crisis that led to the massacre of thousands of civilians in the Wollega and Benishangul Gumuz areas of Ethiopia, among others.
His arrest has caused outcry among Ethiopians in social media. On Sunday, Vision Ethiopia, U.S. based advocacy organisation issued a statement calling the government to stop arbitrary detention of local journalists and called for the release of journalists recently arrested.
In addition to Tamrat, the government has also arrested Meaza Mohammed, former Abay Media journalist who recently launched Roha media, a digital media.
A state of emergency is in place in Ethiopia after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) controlled Dessie and Kombolcha , from which they are dislodged now, at the beginning of November this year.
While the state of emergency is not opposed by Ethiopians, the apparent tendency of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government to silence freedom of expression by arresting critical voices is triggering opposition.
Ethiopians in the country and abroad have been uniting to provide much needed support to the government at a time when powerful state actors and mainstream media outlets in the west out undue pressure in connection with the war against the TPLF terrorist groups.
Some express fear that unpopular and useless actions from PM Abiy Ahmed’s administration might damage the sense of solidarity for Ethiopia’s cause.
__
Join the conversation. Follow us on Twitter @zborkena to get the latest Ethiopian News updates regularly. Like borkena on Facebook as well. To share information or for submission, send e-mail to info@borkena.com
Message to the Honorable Prime Minster of Ethiopia, Mr Abiy Ahmed
Dear Honourable Sir,
As YOU know — more than anyone else — that an Ethiopian who is in custody by your Government simply vanished into the thin air, completely against the civilized law and order of God-fearing Ethiopia.
Dear Sir, How could you face the Ethiopian people and the people of the world when a citizen of Ethiopia simply vanishes into the thin air, without a trace while under the custody of your Government? It does not fit to your personality, Sir. Under the circumstance, one is afraid of the possibility that your Government will be tarnished for ever and ever — if not accused in court of Law, which is applicable to ALL ETHIOPIANS, without the slightest discrimination.
OH Lord, have mercy upon us: NO DISCRIMINATION of ETHIOPIANS by ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT. In ETHIOPIA. OH LORD, WE HAD ENOUGH and let us not be a laughing stock and the usual words of QUOTE: “WE TOLD YOU SO — BLACKS CANNOT BE DEMOCRATIC and CIVILIZED” UNQUOTE!!!!!!!! HOW I HATE THOSE UGLY WORDS as I LIVED HEARING THEM WORD by WORD — DAY IN, DAY OUT for seemingly time immemorial. . NOT IN ETHIOPIA, FOR HEAVEN’S sake.
Dear Sir: YOUR IMMEDIATE ACTION IS RESPECTFULLY EXPECTED TODAY, NOT TOMORROW.
Note: This is just a humble individual who had the saddest experience of discrimination because of the colour of his skin. NOT IN AFRICA , PLEASE. Last word: would your staff dare to treat A WHITE MAN the way an ETHIOPIAN is being treated???????? I leave it to your conscious., Sir When do owe respect to ourselves, by ourselves, in our territory? THE END
Eritrea , tiny powerful country , is colonizing Ethiopia which is famed for no-colonization, no-wheat from US , no-more propaganda against fomer colonizers while more yeses to ERitrean dictator , Isayas who subjugated 120 million population magically twisting the hand of Abiy Ahmed who helped him brainwashing the entire ethiopians who were never colonized ;
Tamrat Negar is resportedly taken to Eritrea – unsaturated ditch to keep prisoners of Isayas.
Ethiopians say a huge no-more to Eritrea before you extend your tongue against former colonizers who are still feeding their wheat , providing you colthes, telephones,and many other basic materials for required for life than bowing down before eritrea which can’t do anything for you except brewing hate, war and genocide with no cost but stealing your own resources. Remeber Eritrean soldiers are payed billions to wage war in Ethiopia and kill your own men and women , but EU is still feeding .
Th sea port is yours and you could share it as it lies just close to your border .
Hey PM Abiy! Stop this now! You too Shimelis Abdisa! Stop playing abracadabra with dissidents. Cough him up and return him to his family pronto. Remember sovereignty comes with respecting and practicing habeas corpus protocol for all citizens. This is a question of law and order. It starts with you and if you don’t observe/respect it then no one will. It is will have an extremely dangerous domino effect that no one will be able to stem it or reinstate it. Be careful now!!! Leave this man alone!!!
Tamerat was arrested by Oromia Police in Addis Ababa after getting permission from Adanech Abebe. What right Adench has to allow allow the Oromia Police to enter, abuse and arrest Addis Ababa residents ? Instead of intimidating and abusing journalists and innocent people why aren’t the Oromia police and fighting forces present in the fighting field where they should be?
Didn’t TPLF unprovoked murdered the Ethiopian National Defense that protects the whole country including Oromia zone?
The Oromia military and police are training in thousands and what is that for if they are not useful right now?
While the National Defense force, Afar and Amhara are the only one dying for Ethiopia and to protect PM Abiy, the Oromo lead power in Arat Kilo, the Oromia solders, Shimeles Abdissa and Adanech Abebe are strayed in unholy direction and unable to smash Shene?