Addis Abeba — Boro Democratic Party (BDP) condemned the sentencing of Yohannes Tessema, an elected member of the Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State Council, to five years and 10 months rigorous imprisonment and a fine of 15,000 birr, which was confirmed to Addis Standard by a leader of the party.
Yohannes was detained by security forces on 9 March 2025, just days after the party petitioned Ethiopia's Council of Constitutional Inquiry over amendments to the regional constitution by the Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State Council and council seat allocations.
The Assosa City High Court's verdict on Wednesday 09 August was based on a five-year-old case involving the "illegal expansion of urban land through a lease proclamation," a matter that had previously been discontinued. The court found Yohannes "guilty" before issuing the final sentence on Wednesday.
The party's official described the regional court's decision as "inappropriate," noting that Yohannes legally purchased his home around 2013 and has lived there since. He further criticized the regional justice system as "politicized."
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The official said that Yohannes had previously been arrested in 2018 on "political grounds", but the charges were dropped in 2019. After filing a complaint regarding the Benishangul-Gumuz Regional Constitution amendment, his parliamentary immunity was revoked and he was arrested on charges of "terrorism and attempting to overthrow the constitutional order by force."
"The police and prosecutor's office lacked evidence for the terrorism charge," the BDP leader said, "so they decided to reinstate the previously discontinued land lease case against Yohannes."
The party official also highlighted the broader political climate in the region, noting that "out of fear, many of our party members have been forced to leave the party. Our chairman is also under de facto house arrest. The political space has been shrinking, and many BDP members are fleeing."
The court's decision would negatively impact upcoming elections, the official said. "I don't believe that BDP will field candidates and compete. The probability is 50 percent. There are also security concerns in the areas where the party operates."
Two more of the party's leaders were also detained following the detention of Yohannes, raising tensions within the region.
In March this year Yohannes and two other council members were prevented from boarding a flight at Assosa Airport to travel to Addis Abeba for further discussions about the constitutional complaint.
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The arrests followed a complaint filed by Yohannes and other BDP members, requesting that the Constitutional Inquiry Council invalidate and prevent enforcement of amendments to the regional constitution and the law on council representation, which had been approved by a majority vote of the Benishangul-Gumuz Regional Council.
The official recalled mediation efforts when in May this year, federal representatives from the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), the Prosperity Party Headquarters, and the Council of Ethiopian Political Parties visited the region to resolve the tensions. According to BDP, an agreement was reached with the regional government, including discussions involving the regional president on the possible release of Yohannes.
The Party's Secretary General told Addis Standard at the time that an agreement was signed between the regional government and BDP which included conditions for Yohannes's release. It was expected that the implementation of the agreement points would fascinate Yohannes's release, though no clear timeline was provided.
