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AMNESTY
INTERNATIONAL URGENT ACTION APPEAL
PUBLIC
AI Index: AFR 25/001/2005
UA
154/05
Fear of torture / Prisoners of conscience
07 June 2005
ETHIOPIA
Student demonstrators at Addis Ababa University (AAU) and
elsewhere
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Large numbers of demonstrating students have been
detained in two days of protests following the announcement of
provisional results from the parliamentary elections of 15 May by
the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE). Amnesty
International fears that, as after university demonstrations in
2001, the students may be held incommunicado, beaten, forced to do
harsh exercises, given very little food and denied medical
treatment. They are also at risk of being kept in custody on
criminal charges for long periods of time.
On
6 June, several hundred peaceful student demonstrators were beaten
with batons and rifle butts by the police on the two main Addis
Ababa University (AAU) campuses. The students had been shouting and
chanting protests against the announcement of the provisional
results of the 15 May parliamentary elections, which indicated a
majority for Prime Minister Meles Zenawi�s ruling Ethiopian
People�s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition. Amnesty
International considers them to be prisoners of conscience, who were
peacefully exercising their opinions.
The
students were supporting opposition demands for an investigation
into alleged voting irregularities, including reported arrests and
beatings of opposition candidates, in about 300 of the 547
constituencies. The students defied the Prime Minister�s ban on
demonstrations for a month after the elections. The detained
students are reportedly being held in police camps such as Sendafa
police training college, 40 kms north of Addis Ababa.
Several
hundred other demonstrating students at Kotebe Teachers College, the
AAU�s Commercial College and Technical College in Addis Ababa were
beaten and arrested on 6 and 7 June. Some threw stones at police and
burned government vehicles. At Kotebe, police reportedly opened fire
on people blocking police vehicles carrying detained students,
killing one female student, Shebray Delelagne, and wounding six
others. The death was called an �accident� by officials who gave
no further details. Similar student protests and arrests are still
taking place, for example at Debub University in Awassa in the
Southern Region, 300 kms south of the capital; Jimma University, 300
kms south in the Oromia Region; and Gondar University in the north.
The total number of detained students is estimated by unofficial
sources to be up to 2,000 or more.
Several
opposition party members are also reported to have been beaten and
arrested in Addis Ababa but most were quickly released. These
included members of the UEDP-Medhin party, which belongs to the
opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD). Lidetu Ayalew,
the CUD public relations officer, was placed under close police
surveillance. The Information Minister and the police accused the
CUD of instigating the student protests and inciting violence. The
CUD denies this and maintains it is a peaceful opposition party.
On
2 June, police detained six journalists from private newspapers for
several hours, reportedly for publishing opposition party
statements, but released them without charge after several hours�
questioning.
BACKGROUND
INFORMATION
The
NEBE announced provisional election results, with 302 seats for the
EPRDF; 187 seats for the two opposition coalitions, the CUD (which
won all seats in the capital, Addis Ababa) and the United Ethiopian
Democratic Forces (UEDF); and 25 seats for independent candidates.
The opposition and independent parties previously had only 12 seats.
The NEBE has postponed the final result announcement to 8 July,
while investigations into electoral complaints take place. A joint
investigation committee has been set up by the NEBE, including
opposition representatives and election observers from the European
Union and US Carter Center. So far, the NEBE has ordered re-runs in
16 polling stations in the Oromia and Southern regions.
RECOMMENDED
ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in
English or your own language:
-
Expressing concern for the safety of several hundred Addis Ababa
University students who were arrested on 6 June 2005 for peacefully
demonstrating about the provisional election results;
-
Calling for them not to be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman
and degrading treatment or punishment, contrary to Ethiopia�s
constitution and laws and its international and regional human
rights treaty obligations;
-
Appealing for the immediate and unconditional release of the Addis
Ababa University students as prisoners of conscience exercising
their right to peacefully express their opinions;
-
Calling for the release of all other students detained on account of
similar protests, and for any demonstrators suspected of criminal
violence to be taken to court and charged within the 48 hours
prescribed by the law and given a fair and early trial, or otherwise
released.
APPEALS
TO:
Prime
Minister
His
Excellency Meles Zenawi
Office
of the Prime Minister
P
O Box 1031, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Fax:
+ 251 1 552020 / 552030 (please keep trying)
Salutation:
Your Excellency
Minister
of Justice
Mr
Harka Haroye
Ministry
of Justice
P.O.
Box 1370, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Fax:
+ 251 1 51 77 75 / 520874
Email:
[email protected]
Salutation:
Dear Minister
Commissioner
of Police
Ministry
of Federal Affairs,
P
O Box 5068, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Salutation:
Dear Commissioner
COPIES
TO:
Mr
Kemal Bedri
Chair,
National Election Board of Ethiopia
P.O.
Box 40812, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Fax:
+ 251 1 55 0278
Email:
[email protected]
Salutation: Dear Chair of the National
Election Board
and
to diplomatic representatives of ETHIOPIA accredited to your
country.
PLEASE
SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with
the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending
appeals after 19 July 2005.
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