March 8, 2020
The HRLHA is seriously concerned about the arbitrary arrests, harassments and forced disappearances of senior officials and members of opposition political parties at this critical moment when only a few months are left until a national election, which many believe promises to bring about the political transition of the country from a dark past to a brighter future.
| Abdi Regassa |
The HRLHA has confirmed that recently three top officials, two top advisors and other four members of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), (1) Abdi Regassa, OLF Executive Committee member, (2) Michael Boran, OLF Executive Committee member, (3) Kenessa Ayana, OLF Central Committee member, (4) Dr. Shigut Geleta, OLF top advisor, (5) Yadi Abdushikur, OLF Economic advisor, (6) Tesfaye Mako, OLF Senior member, (7) Muhe Raya, OLF Senior Member, (8) Abdurkariim Abdurhamaan, (9) Salamoon Tashoomaa were arbitrarily arrested by police on February 29, 2020 after their residence was surrounded throughout the night and invaded by heavily armed security men. After entering into their residence compound, the police handcuffed all of them and conducted a search of the officials’ house, confiscated personal belongings such as ID cards, passports, ATM and other documents and mistreated the officials’ human dignity too. The HRLHA has confirmed from the victims that the police had conducted the arrests and searches without a court warrant (order) in violation of the principles of due process of law guaranteed by the FDRE Constitution and the Criminal Procedure Code of Ethiopia as well as international treaties ratified by Ethiopia.
The HRLHA also confirmed that an attempt was made to kill Abdi by firing a bullet through a window into his bedroom. Though eight of the arrested officials were released after twelve hours kept at 3rd Addis Ababa Police station, Abdi Ragassa’s whereabouts were not known for six days- until March 05, 2020- when it became known that he had been detained at Burayu Town Police Station, which is located near the town. The police restrict relatives, family, friends and legal counsel from visiting Abdi.
The
police have also targeted the local cadres of OLF. The unlawful arrest of the
top officials of the party’s South Eastern zones of Oromia is worth mentioning
here. On February 24, 2020, four key officials
| Hunde Darara (right) – a member of the Gumi Saba (Peoples Council) of OLF and delegate of the Bale zone. He is a former political prisoner who has served a sentence of 11 years of rigorous imprisonment.Yilma Bariso– the party’s secretary of Western Arsi zone.Injifanno Mohammed– the party’s delegate of Western Arsi zone.Gammada Lencho– the party’s delegate of Arsi Negele district. |
were arbitrarily arrested by Oromia Police in Batu town while travelling to the capital Addis Ababa/Finfinne to participate in a meeting at OLF headquarters. Four of the officials arrested are-
Police brutality against artists because they suspect the artists support opposition political parties has also continued especially in the towns surrounding the capital Addis Ababa/Finfinne. On February 25, 2020 night, the Oromia Police arrested and beat peaceful audiences at a hotel lunch event in the Burayu town. The Oromo icon artists seriously injured in this incident include-
| Desalegn Bekama– an emerging Oromo singer known for his Afan Oromo song titled “Asu Ko” |
| Lij Yared- young Oromo comedian, singer and painter. |
| Hawi Keneni (Oromo by birth and Norwegian citizen) – a daughter of Mrs. Elifinesh Kanno, the famous Oromo resistance singer) |
On this very day, February 25, 2020, the Oromia special police raided the inauguration of an OLF office at Welenciti town and fired live bullets and tear gas, and killed one supporter of the party.
Forced disappearances of members and supporters of the opposition parties have also been rampant in Oromia. In this regard, senior members and officials were particuarly targeted.
| Aliyi Yusuf (right) is one the top officials of OLF who has been forcefully disappeared for over 10 days and was eventually found detained at Addis Ababa Police Commission. |
| Addisu Mengistu (right)- former OLA member and bodyguard of Legese Wegi, former commander in chief of OLA, Western Zone. Previously, he has been released on May 2018 after serving 16 years rigorous imprisonment. His whereabouts have been unknown since February 26, 2020. |
The whereabouts of hundreds of youths in Oromia is not yet known. There are some persons whose fates have been unknown for the past several months. Oromia Police abducted two youth last month from Burayu town and their whereabouts are still unknown. Two of them are:
| Sagni Hamsalu (left) – a University teacher who has been repeatedly arrested previously for his political opinions. His whereabouts have been unknown since February 21, 2020. |
Like the OLF, the members and supports of Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC) are also facing harassment and arbitrary arrest by the government security men especially in Oromia regional state. In a letter wrote to the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) on February 24, 2020, OFC has mentioned a long list of the unlawful arrests of its local delegates and officials. The HRLHA has confirmed the arrest of the following senior officials of the party by Oromia police since January 2020. These include
| No. | Full Name | Place of Arrest (Zone or town) | Position in the Party | Remarks |
| 1 | Abrham Dano | West Wellega | Vice Coordinator | Not yet released |
| 2 | Jatani Mitiku | West Guji | Member of the Party’s Central Committee and Secretary of the Zone | He has been repeatedly arrested and harassed. |
| 3 | Dugomsa Negasa | North Shewa | Youth League Coordinator | Not yet released |
| 4 | Morka Tolosa | Sabata Hawas | Youth League Coordinator | Not yet released |
| Background:- Over the past twenty-seven years (1991-2018) the Ethiopian government has restricted political space for the opposition, stifled an independent civil society, and intensified control of the media. Repressions have gained greater momentum as the 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015 general election elections approached. Opposition supporters have been attacked and arbitrarily detained. Repression is usually much more subtle and insidious, involving threats, harassment, closure of offices and the breaking up of meetings. In 2009, harsh new legislation affecting civil society and the media was enacted that constricts the ability of individuals to expose and criticize continuing serious violations of human rights in Ethiopia. These punitive measures have restricted the rights to freedom of expression and association, have silenced independent voices, and contributed to chilling freedom of speech and opinion more broadly. The gross human rights violations by the EPRDF government against the people of Ethiopia for over twenty- seven years (1991-2018) in violation of the 1995 constitution of the country and the international human rights standards that Ethiopia signed and ratified have been resisted by Ethiopians (2014-2018) who have removed the EPRDF’s old guards and forced the government to bring a reform to itself in 2018. The new Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed who came into power on April 2, 2018 promised to bring change into the country thorough implementation of the 1995 constitution that incorporates a wide range of human rights standards. But these steps, while important, have not ensured that Ethiopian citizens are able to enjoy their fundamental rights fully. In practice, Ethiopian citizens are able to speak freely about their concerns without fear of reprisal, but not practice them. Democracy’s technical framework remains a deceptive and hollow façade so long as Ethiopia’s opposition parties lack freedom to practice their fundamental rights to prepare their members for the upcoming national election. |
There have been also several incidents of unlawful arrests and harassments perpetrated against political dissenters by the government especially in the Oromia regional state of Ethiopia. The police detention centers all over Oromia are overcrowded and currently thousands of persons have been loaded from different towns and districts in Oromia Regional state from:
- Around Addis Ababa/Finfine city (Burayu, LagaTafo, Sebeta towns)
- West Shawa, Ambo, Chaliya, Bako Tibe, Chobi, Ada’a Barga, Jaldu, Dano and Dagam districts,
- Horro Guduru Wallagga Zone, Amuru, and Abay Chomen, districts
- Illu Ababora Zone, Darimu , Bure and, Nopha districts
- Bale Zone, Robe town, and Dallo Manna district are being incarcerated in military training camps such as Awash Arba, Tolay and Senkelle. The Oromia regional government has further continued to use unofficial detention centers like that of the notorious Kumsa Moroda Palace found in the Nekemte town, Wallagga. As a result, the whereabouts of hundreds of persons is unknown. In addition to the arbitrariness of their arrests, the prisoners are also facing serious ill treatment within the detention centers. Denial of visitations by family and relatives; deprivation of access to court and legal counsel; and denial of basic necessities of life are common in almost all detention centers found in Oromia, and especially in the Western and Southern zones of the region administered by the military (Command Post).
This measure of the government is contrary to the fundamental rights and freedoms of Arrested Persons as guaranteed under Article 19 of the FDRE Constitution and international human rights instruments ratified by the country.
Recommendations to the Government of Ethiopia:
- Stop brutalities being perpetrated by the Oromia Police and the vicious actions of the Finfinne Special Zone Administration against the members and supporters of political opposition parties
- Acknowledge the whereabouts of hundreds of persons abducted by government security forces who have been missing for several months
- Release all arbitrarily detained officials, members and supporters, of opposition political parties languishing in different official and unofficial detention centers
- Investigate and bring to justice members of the security forces especially the Oromia Special Police who have been perpetrating wicked atrocities against political dissenters and innocent civilians
- Pave the way for a genuine and sustainable dialogue with the opposition parties towards ensuring lasting peace and stability within the region as well as the country at large
- Guarantee unrestricted access to Ethiopia to international media and independent human rights investigators, into the human rights violations committed in Southern and Western Zones of Oromia under the unofficial State of Emergency (SoE) or Military Command Post
- Ban the unofficial Military Rule in the Western and Southern Zones of Oromia and engage in peaceful negotiation with the armed group, namely the OLA, operating in those areas
The HRLHA calls on the Ethiopian government to take urgent steps to improve the electoral environment by immediately releasing all political prisoners
