UN panel: Eskinder Nega jailing violates international law

   by Tom Rhodes/CPJ East Africa Consultant

Authorities in Ethiopia describe Eskinder Nega, a prominent columnist and government critic jailed since September 2011 on vague terrorism charges, as a dangerous individual bent on violent revolution. However, in an opinion handed down in 2012–publicized only this week by Washington, D.C.-based legal advocacy group Freedom Now–a United Nations panel of five independent experts ruled that Eskinder’s imprisonment came “as a result of his peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of expression.”
The opinion from the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention was issued after a judge in Addis Ababa sentenced Eskinder to 18 years in prison in July 2012, accusing him of writing “articles that incited the public to bring the North African and Arab uprisings to Ethiopia.” In the opinion, the experts detailed several breaches of Eskinder’s rights, from his arrest without warrant and allegations of mistreatment in pre-trial detention, to a flawed prosecution and trial that fell short of international standards of fairness.
“It is our sincere hope that the government will look closely at the opinion and come to the same conclusion as the Working Group,” Patrick Griffith, an attorney with Freedom Now, told me. “The opinion here is especially well-reasoned and clearly explains why the continued detention of Eskinder is a violation of international law; it is now up to the government to do the right thing and release him.”
The opinion, however, is not binding, and Ethiopian authorities have a notoriously tough hide when it comes to international criticism of their human rights record–despite being major recipients of Western aid. Griffith is still optimistic, saying: “Pressure can have an impact on the ground; the release of political prisoners in 2007 (following mass arrests in 2005) and the release of the Swedish journalists last year came after considerable international attention–so there is hope.” Griffith says Freedom Now will urge governments, especially that of the United States, to more forcefully insist on Eskinder’s release. Griffith also hopes that by vigorously pursuing Eskinder’s case, the group can train more global attention on other Ethiopian journalists in prison. There are currently six journalists behind bars, some without charge.
Prior to his arrest, Eskinder had criticized authorities for carrying out such practices, claiming that the government used a sweeping anti-terror law to scare critics of the ruling party into silence. “In the well-publicized applications of the dreaded anti-terrorism law lies the perfect means to stretch fear to its furthest limit. Raw fear is in the air. And journalists have been affected the most,” Eskinder wrote in a July 2011 column entitled “SOS: Dissent and terrorism in Ethiopia.”
As a member of the U.N. Human Rights Council, Ethiopia should comply with international law and release Eskinder immediately and unconditionally.

All of us can be Part of the Solution

by Abebe Kassa, April 05,2013

To sell Ethiopian agricultural lands to foreign investors, the weyane regime continued with increasing vigor its policy of forced eviction of ethiopians from their own land. The number of evicted people and their sufferings are growing. As Ethiopians hearing the news from different medias the anger is flowing from everywhere. Often news about atrocities committed by the weyane regime ends up being a week or some weeks long concern. It has to be be changed at some point. The anger has to be transformed in to meaningful action. The regime has to feel these atrocities will have consequences.
The recurrent questions among Ethiopians when we hear this kind of atrocities commited by the weyane regime is: what can we do to stop this from happening again? what is the solution? The questions often followed by demand for opposition forces to unite and make formidable force to challenge the regime. Since 2005 the call is not bearing fruit as we wanted it. In 2005 election Kinjit and Hibret did that in Ethiopia when opportunity arised and shaken the regime to its core. Ofcourse many people yearn to see that being repeated to bring back vitality to the struggle. Currently the opposition being fragmented and weyane controlling almost all the resources and institutions in Ethiopia might appear for some weyane is invincible. Gene sharp who wrote extensively on resistance against dictatorship pointed out that the perception of dictators invulnerability against powerlessness feelings by the opposition makes effective resistance unlikely. The wrong perceptions impede effort. In Ethiopian struggle one factor that is oppositions working together can alter that power equation significantly. Many are demanding it too. We know even the news that oppositions are working together will rattle the weyane camp. The challenge is how to achieve that.
We can’t leave the responsibility only for political parties and civic organizations leaders to unite the opposition force and bring the desired change we want. I believe the way is those of us who wants regime change in Ethiopia to involve in the struggle actively. We can be member or supporter of a political party or civic organization. Political parties and civic organizations are not in short supply and most of us can get the choice of our own. No waiting game while we can be part of those who make it happen. We can play part in shaping the struggle. we can not continue to be bystanders till the unity we demand arrives. We can search the solutions while working in the organizations framework. We might start participating in different organizations however as the struggle goes its course and with time we might meet at some point like tributaries merge together to form a river. Intra-organizations negotiations and discussions will bring the ways to cooperate and work together. This way we can accelerate the disintegration of weyane regime. If we involve and contribute what we can in the effort to bring oppositions to work together, we will dismantle the weyane regime for good and lay the foundation of democratic Ethiopia.
To act is to involve in the struggle.
kinmich@hotmail.com