Ethiopia: Two Prisoners of Conscience Freed Amnesty International

PRESS RELEASE 28 March 2008 Posted to the web 28 March 2008

Amnesty International today welcomed the release of human rights activists Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie, who had been detained in Ethiopia since November 2005, but said the two prisoners of conscience should be compensated for the time they spent in prison.

The two men were released today, having received a presidential pardon after they signed a letter “acknowledging mistakes” committed in relation to the 2005 elections. It is not yet clear if the pardon is unconditional. “These two men did not commit any acts for which they need to seek pardon,” said Erwin van der Borght, Director of Amnesty International’s Africa Programme.

“They were prisoners of conscience, detained and convicted solely for their peaceful work as human rights defenders. They should have their convictions unconditionally pardoned, and should receive compensation for the period they were unfairly imprisoned.” Daniel Bekele is the policy manager of ActionAid in Ethiopia. Netsanet Demissie is the founder and director of the Organization for Social Justice in Ethiopia. Both are prominent human rights lawyers.

Both men chose to enter a defence, unlike other co-accused, during a trial that ran for over two years. In December 2007, they were convicted by a majority verdict of the Ethiopian Federal High Court of provoking and preparing “outrages against the Constitution” and were sentenced to 30 months imprisonment.

According to Amnesty International, the prosecution failed to present evidence that either Daniel Bekele or Netsanet Demissie incited violence and the judges convicted them on the basis of the testimonies of two witnesses whose credibility was doubtful and strongly contested by the defence. The Ethiopian government barred representatives from Amnesty International from observing the trial in July 2007.

GERRIRLIJAM,ETHIOPIA IS GOING TO OPEN THREE REFUGEE CAMPS IN TIGRAY AND AFAR REGIONS.SHEMELBA IS OCCUPIED BY 25000 ERTRIANS .IT SHOULD TAKE CARE OF HUNGRY AND DEPRIVED ERTRIANS. ACCORDING TO UN ,EVERY MONTH AN AVERAGE OF 300-500 PEOPLE ARE ENTERING ETHIOPIA. DO YOU KNOW WHAT AN ERTRIAN SAID:- "I am ashamed of being Eritrean,my own eritrean ppl keep on dreaming about gold deposit & other nonsences. This ain't the way 2 b like singapore. It's sad 2 c my ppl like this. When r we gone stop ofering others the oxygen mask while we r gasping 4 air?When r we gone admit our own mistakes?When r we gone stop the war tune that we have never been good at? When r we gone help 2/3 of our famine stranded ppl? if isayas's against the west,it's ppl who'll suffer.the meal at isayas palace never change! "

Man's crime likely to lead to deportation to Ethiopia

By Kristin Owens Special to the Tribune Article Last Updated: 03/28/2008 01:38:57 AM MDT

A former Utah Valley State College student was sentenced Thursday to serve one more month in jail and three years of probation for felony theft. The 20-year-old will likely be deported to Ethiopia before he finishes that sentence, attorneys said. Kidus Chane Yohannes was convicted in February of third-degree felony possession of his roommate's credit card. Two additional felony charges of buying guns with a false identification number were dropped in December. Judge Gary Stott denied a motion by attorney Richard Gale to reduce the felony charge to a class A misdemeanor. Deputy Utah County Attorney Chad Grunander said reducing the charge might have allowed Yohannes to avoid penalties associated with a felony conviction, like deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a hold on Yohannes, which means federal authorities likely are planning to begin deportation proceedings, Grunander said. Yohannes is in the United States on political asylum from Ethiopia, which could complicate deportation, Grunander said. Yohannes is purportedly "consumed with violent depictions of the death of United States military servicemen, as well as human execution by gunfire," according to 4th District Court documents. He also allegedly made statements about killing a police officer, according to court documents. Those statements contributed to the Utah County Attorney's Office's determination to get a felony conviction, which ensures that Yohannes can never again legally possess a gun in the United States, Grunander said. Stott sentenced him to serve 120 days in jail, with credit for time served since his June arrest.