Ethiopian Human Rights Council expresses concern over the on going   mass arrests in the capital

By Staff Reporter

ADDIS ABABA – (BORKENA) – The Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRC) said that mass arrests have still been made in Addis Ababa. The Council said these arrests were not made as per the legal procedures and some of them were accompanied by forced disappearances.

EHRC said based on information it obtained  from the families of detainees that a large number of people have been arrested by both Addis Ababa and the Federal Police in the Capital, Addis Ababa. Some of the police forces were seen using vehicles with no licence plates. There are also detainees that were taken to Awash-Arba, a secluded site located in Afar  Region, according to EHRC.

EHRC said that although it requested further clarification from various relevant government bodies regarding this issue, it could not get a response until yesterday.

Member of the House of Peoples Representatives, Christian Tadele,  and the other detainee Dr. Kassa Teshager, a member of the Addis Ababa House of Representatives were arrested in connection with this case on 04 August 2023. But they have not been brought to court yet, their immunity right has been violated and their whereabouts are not known, according to EHRC.

EHRC said that human rights violations have been witnessed in the newly established Southern Ethiopia Region. The Commission has touched on an instance stating that people were harmed by the excessive force applied by the security forces against citizens who have come out into streets to express their happiness over the decision made to organise the special Woreda, Derashe into a Zone administration. The security forces have taken hostage and imprisoned people and forcefully compelled women to bring their husbands.

Earlier several people were killed in Gamo Zone by security forces in disagreements following acts carried out to restructure the satellite Kolla Shara Peasant Kebele to Arba-Minch Town. 

EHRC further said that some families of the deceased were prevented from taking the bodies and burying them. A large number of people have also been taken from their homes to unknown places, and robberies have been carried out.

The Council also said that human rights violations have been occurring in various areas of Amhara Region due to the ongoing conflicts.

EHRC said that killings, kidnappings, arrests, robberies and sexual violence against women continued in places such as Bahir-Dar, Merawi, Dembecha, Ammanuel, Lumame, Debre-Markos, Finote-Selam, Bichena, Debre-Tabor, Wereta, Addis-Zemen and other areas.

Although this violation of human rights affects all sections of the society,  it has made women the most vulnerable in particular.

Therefore, the Council has requested an immediate stop to mass arrests and forced disappearance in Addis Ababa and other places. EHRC also urged that the detained persons be brought to court and their location disclosed.

Before the massacre of innocent people, destruction of property and the general peace disruption in Amhara Region reach the worst situation, the issue should be given a lasting solution through dialogue that should be held between the government and the armed militants. 

EHRC called on the government to closely monitor the state of emergency to be implemented without violating the law and human rights.

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