Ethiopia threatens journalist with solitary confinement

April 10, 2013

His Excellency Berhan Hailu
Minister of Justice
P.O. Box 1370
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia

Via facsimile: +251-11-517-755
Via email: justice@telecom.net.et
Dear Minister Birhan Hailu,
We are writing to bring to your attention the case of Ethiopian journalist and teacher Reeyot Alemu, whose health has deteriorated since her imprisonment in June 2011 on terrorism charges and who is now being threatened with solitary confinement. The Ethiopian Ministry of Justice has publicly subscribed to a vision in which “human and democratic rights are respected,” yet Reeyot’s full human rights are being denied to her in Kality Prison.
The Ethiopian High Court sentenced Reeyot, a columnist for the now-defunct independent weekly Feteh, to 14 years in prison on January 2012 under the country’s anti-terrorism law. In August 2012, the Supreme Court acquitted her on two counts, but upheld the charge against her of participation in the promotion or communication of a terrorist act, and reduced her sentence to five years.
Prison authorities have threatened Reeyot with solitary confinement for two months as punishment for alleged bad behavior toward them and threatening to publicize human rights violations by prison guards, according to sources close to the journalist who spoke to the International Women’s Media Foundation on condition of anonymity. CPJ has independently verified the information. Reeyot has also been denied access to adequate medical treatment after she was diagnosed with a tumor in her breast, the sources said.
We would like to draw your attention to the 2011 report by Juan E. Méndez, the United Nations special rapporteur on torture, in which he urged the prohibition of “the imposition of solitary confinement as punishment–either as part of a judicially imposed sentence or a disciplinary measure.” We would also remind you that Ethiopia is a signatory to the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and is legally bound to uphold these principles.
As a current member of the United Nations Human Rights Council and a signatory to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Ethiopia has committed itself to upholding the human rights of all of its citizens. This includes the right to freedom of expression and speech, as well as protection from cruel and inhumane forms of punishment such as solitary confinement.
All of the charges against Reeyot were based on her journalistic activities–emails she had received from pro-opposition discussion groups and reports and photographs she had sent to opposition news sites. Reeyot, who received the International Women’s Media Foundation Courage in Journalism Award in 2012, has covered key developmental issues in Ethiopia such as poverty, democratic opposition, and gender equality.
The prison sentence against Reeyot for performing her duties and exercising her rights as a journalist to ask questions and express opinions calls into question Ethiopia’s commitment to the democratic values and human rights the country claims to uphold.
We urge you to fulfill Ethiopia’s promise to build a humane and democratic state by withdrawing the threat of solitary confinement against Reeyot and ensuring her access to adequate medical care. No journalists should face detention or imprisonment in the exercise of their duty.
Yours sincerely,
Joel Simon
Executive Director
CC List:
Shiferaw Tekle-Mariam, minister of federal affairs of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia
Girma Birru Geda, ambassador of Ethiopia to the United States
Donald Booth, ambassador of the United States to Ethiopia
Lieselore Cyrus, ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Ethiopia
Greg Dorey, ambassador of the United Kingdom to Ethiopia
Xavier Marcha, head of the European Union Delegation to Ethiopia
Juan E. Méndez, special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, U.N. Human Rights Council
Claudio Grossman, chairperson, United Nations Committee against Torture
Firmin Edouard Matoko, UNESCO representative to Ethiopia
Pansy Tlakula, special rapporteur on freedom of expression, African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights
Med S.K. Kaggwa, special rapporteur on prisons and conditions of detention, African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
Reine Alapini-Gansou, commissioner and special rapporteur of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
Margaret Sekaggya, U.N. special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
Arnold Tsunga, director, Africa Program, International Commission of Jurists
Antoine Bernard, chief executive officer, International Federation for Human Rights
Berhane Melka, head of Federal Prison Administration, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tombet Ariane, head of delegation, International Committee of the Red Cross, Ethiopia
Alana Barton, program manager, International Women’s Media Foundation, United States

The violent, greedy and stupid Apartheid regime only choice is to surrender

                       by Teshome Debalke

The notorious and corrupt ethnic Apartheid regime of Woyane ruling Ethiopia is pushing every button of Ethiopians. If any Ethiopian has iota of doubt that Woyane is anything but a violet, corrupt and stupid regime in cover of Ethnic Federalism and development, they need to get their head checked. The time has come for all Ethiopians with out exception to burry the ethnic Apartheid regime and move on to better alternative sooner than later. Ignorance of that reality or making up off the wall noises to divert the issue isn’t going to be an excuse anymore. It only proves as a desperate attempt to preserve something proven to be rotten or the goodies it provides for those that are willing to stoop at its level.
‘Stupid is as stupid does’ is an expression that demonstrates the action of one’s stupidity. It also extends to one’s imagination in thinking her/his stupidity can outsmart the rest. Such mindset further makes stupidity a virtue for those that live in a bubble of the Apartheid system.
Unlike anytime, Woyane and its entourage of messengers-of-death and corruption are testing the limits of all Ethiopians. Surprisingly, the stooges still couldn’t figure out their stupidity is beyond anything we have seen in modern times; with the exception of a few brutal tyrannies in Africa and the Middle East. Tyranny is its own worst enemy because it congregates stupid people. Then again, tyranny wouldn’t survive without them.
Therefore, it is not unusual for Woyane to assemble violent, corrupt and stupid individuals incapable of rational thinking. It seems, the messengers’ stupidity is getting out of hand and overwhelmed even the top warlord of the ethnic Apartheid regime that unleashes them to terrorize and robe the people with impunity. It appears the warlords are trying to restrain the same messengers of death and corruption they unleashed and used to get Woyane where it is to cause havoc on the population.
The recently reported ethnic cleansing of Amharic speaking Ethiopians from Western and Southern Region and the atrocity inflected on Ethiopians of the Muslim faith are some of the indication the Apartheid regime is running out of option to stay alive. In the name of development and fighting terrorism, Woyane is hoping against hope to cover up its corruption and atrocities to extend its rule one day at a time. It is a tragic reminder of how far Woyane is willing to go to incriminate the people of Tigray it claims to represent just because… it wants to continue its illegitimate rule and corruption in their name.
Few weeks ago, in unprecedented futility to hoodwink the public again, the Woyane ethnic Warlords that pause as Ethiopian People Federal Democratic Republic (EPFDR) completed their latest drama on the party’s ninth general assembly conference.
The circus with the same notorious TPLF’s ethnic warlords and their junior partners dressed up like clowns was an attempt to sell the public the next phase of Woyane’s strategy to lie its way out of its crimes and stay alive. Azeb Mesfin, the widow of the late tyrant Melse Zenawi and known as the queen of corruption was also part of the acting crew defending her late husband and partner in crime that died a destitute man with no bank account in his name, according to her. Was she attempting to make us believe there are some innocent ethnic warlords in the Woyane family or is it a sign some of the warlords going to bit the dust to save face? Regardless, her act was hilarious for those that knew the man as mastermind of Woyane’s corruption, but, for the blind Woyane supporters that are led by a blind man they may see selfless visionary leader to believe her.
When her recital wasn’t enough, the notorious ethnic warlord and President of the so called Tigray Region chastised his junior ethnic warlord; claiming his ‘Region’s development’ is due to good governance of his leadership instead of TPLF’s daylight robbery of the nation in the name of the hostages held in the Region he was appointed to subjugate. Before we know it, the shameless TPLF Warlord is going to say robbing the nation’s resources and collecting donation around the world to damp it in the Tigray Region is the visionary leadership of the late Melse Zenawi’s new Developmental State theory. Let’s face it; the late tyrant was good making his clueless stooges feel good about themselves in believing robbery is development. We must agree he wasn’t an ordinary tyrant we are used to in Africa.
The gathering of the clowns that make and break the law believe they can manufacture a drama and show it on the only television they control and to go on in their business of corruption and atrocity. Sadly to say, it worked before, and the collection of blind stooges and apologists go along with it and pretend they are living a life worth living on the expenses of Ethiopians.
Imagine what the hapless ethnic warlords are telling us. Apparently, they still couldn’t make up their mind who gave them the mandate to rule Ethiopia? They use to say, and still do; Ethiopia is TPLF’s war trophy willing to suck her dry until some one forces them to surrender. Another time, they told us Woyane is an elected government by 99.64% of the popular votes, thus, legitimate regime to rule. When that doesn’t work, they came up with yet another lam excuse; growing the economy by double digit entitles them to rule for eternity. When noting works and desperation set-in; fighting terrorism or bashing their favorite brand enemy, the Amahars comes in handy to justify their criminal rule. When everything is bleak; there are always the ‘extreme Diasporas’ that ‘hate Tigrians’ to cry about.
Fortunately, noting seems to work for the ethnic warlords except terrorizing and robbing Ethiopians in to silence with their death squad. Woyane warlords are like an obsessed man going ballistic for being rejected by a woman he saw and loved insight; terrorizing her to be with him or… else. In politics, that kind obsession to be loved by terror turns in to ugly episode like we see with Woyane’s out of control behavior. Civilized politicians take rejection with a grain of salt and move on to do better next time around, but not Woyane warlords. Instead, they lie to themselves and the public with straight face the entire population loves them and go out terrorizing the people to force love them or… else. It is the ultimate ugliness of uncivilized regime that is willing to kill when rejected by popular demand.
At the meantime, more revelation surfaced to show Woyane’s love for the late Fascist regime than Ethiopian rulers that humiliated it. By jailing patriotic Ethiopian that protested against Fascism that cost us millions of our people’s lives the shameless warlord showed their true color. Not one TPLF warlords came out in protest of Fascism nor Woyane officially or unofficially oppose when Rodolfo Graziani, the butcher of Ethiopia is honored in Italy while warlords goes out of their way to manufacture lies to dishonor legendry Ethiopian leaders and war heroes that buried Fascism for good to inspire the independence movements of the entire Africa and beyond. Nor we have heard anything from Woyane stooges and apologist protesting against honoring the Fascist warlord. The last and only time stooges were protesting was against Egypt for the rights of Ethiopia to use the Nile water in front of the White House in Washington DC. Indecently, the Italian construction company Salini is given an exclusive contract to build the Grand Dam as well as others in partnership with Woyane. Talk about selling the country in a hand basket.
Before we know it, Woyane is going to rewrite history; praising Graziani as a great and visionary leader of Ethiopia that grew the economy by double digit and built roads in the honor of Zenawi Asers, the father of the late tyrant that served Rodolfo Graziani. Better yet, his statue would come in handy on the African Union Headquarter as Woyane gift for Africans. As shameful as it may sound, noting is impossible under Woyane.
This is the newest low for Woyane even its stanch stooges can’t swallow the degenerated behavior of the regime they love to death. Once again, it proved for one and all, Ethiopia has been under the rule of Fascist sympathizers unhappy Ethiopians buried their hero for good.
Can this be the prove needed that would break the back of the collection of Woyane stooges that are hell-bent to defend the ethnic Apartheid and Fascist loving regime tooth and nail? Ethiopians can’t wait to hear from Woyane stooges and apologist that are afraid to come out of their hiding to tell us why their beloved regime flirting with the long buried Fascist regime? Most importantly, why are they associating the people of Tigray with Fascist loving Apartheid regime? More question, no answer.
The good news is Ethiopians from all walks of life are finally coming together to burry the rogue and Fascist sympathizer Woyane regime for good. The sign is on the wall when we see the nervous Woyane stooges running like mad dogs biting every Ethiopian. The Warlords are feeling the pain of the Apartheid system they set up coming to bit them. The apologists; after they buried the ethnic