7 July 2009
press release
Reacting to the news that the Ethiopian Parliament has today passed an Anti-Terror Proclamation in Ethiopia, Amnesty International warns that the law could restrict freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and the right to fair trial, with serious implications in the run up to Ethiopia’s 2010 parliamentary election.
Although the Ethiopian government faces legitimate security concerns, any anti-terror legislation must be in accordance with international human rights standards.
“The Government of Ethiopia has a history of stifling dissent and it is worrying that this law now risks further violating Ethiopia’s obligations under international human rights law,” said Erwin van der Borght, Amnesty International’s Africa programme director. “The Anti-Terror Proclamation is expected to provide Ethiopian authorities with unnecessarily far reaching powers which could lead to further arbitrary arrests”.
Based on earlier drafts of the law previously made available to Amnesty International, “acts of terrorism" are vaguely defined and could encompass the legitimate expression of political dissent. The law defines “acts of terrorism” as including damage to property and disruption to any public service, for which an individual could be sentenced to 15 years in prison or even the death penalty.
Thousands of protesters, political party leaders, journalists and human rights defenders were arrested and detained following the disputed November 2005 elections in which the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) retained political power.
Read comments. Write your own.
Copyright © 2009 Amnesty International. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
I am sorry to say that PM Meles and his government did it again by the New Anti-Terrorism Proclamation to tighten the noose against his opponents for the coming election 2010. When has it been an act of terror if you criticise your government for wrong doings? I think the situation for Ethiopian people is getting worse.
I think it is time the donor countries show solidarity to the people of Ethiopia by freezing donations and loans until the government of Ethiopia backs down from intimidating opposition and restores the democratic rights of the people to express them selves… [Read Full Text]