10 May 2009
Addis Ababa — The government on Friday dismissed a report by the Human Rights Watch which claimed the arrest of suspected coup plotters was politically motivated and in line of blood relation.
Ethiopia has come under fire in reports which accused the government of widespread rights abuses, including jeapordising the legal system.
"The report by the so-called Human Rights Watch is baseless," the Government Communications Affairs Bureau said in a statement Friday.
It said the HRW jeapordised the rule of law in reporting on matters in due process by the country's court.
"The suspects were put behind bars after it was discovered that they were preparing to assassinate people and blow up selected government cites," the statement said, adding the round up took place following an arrest warrant by the court.
"Citizens who violate the country's laws are held accountable, and this process will not be disrupted by fabricated reports and negative campaign aimed at Tarnishing the country's image," the statement in Amharic reads.
The ministry said it was not understood why the rights body chose to resort to making hasty statements about the matter while the issue was in due process and in line with national and international legal practices.
The statement accused the Human Rights Watch as an organization engaged in relentlessly attempts of hurting the image of the country.
"The report is a product of one of those so-called international organizations, who, in the name of human rights, are engaged in hurting the image of the country." "This kind of unfounded and baseless report made in the midst of the due process is faulty and there fore unacceptable,: the statement said concluding government's response to the HRW report released on Thursday.
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