Human Rights Lawyer Marks Two Years in Ethiopia Prison

November 12, 2007 -- Public protests rocked Addis Ababa two years ago following a contentious election. Thousands were arrested. One hundred thirty one opposition leaders, journalists and civil society leaders faced the death penalty in a trial that began in May 2006. Currently, two years after they were arrested, ELAW partner Netsanet Demissie, and anti-poverty activist Daniel Bekele, remain in jail, awaiting their verdicts.

Last month, judges in Ethiopia`s Federal High Court again delayed their verdict.

“Netsanet has spent two years of his life in prison for defending the rule of law. We applaud his courage, wish his family strength, and urge the Government of Ethiopia to bring an end to this travesty of justice,” says Jennifer Gleason, Staff Attorney at the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide. Jen traveled to Ethiopia in 2004 to work with Netsanet on environmental and human rights issues.

The 131 accused faced a range of charges from genocide to treason, punishable by death. Some of the accused were acquitted earlier in the trial, and others were convicted. Those who were found guilty, were sentenced to life in prison, but were later pardoned.

Although most of the detainees did not do so, Netsanet and Daniel asked for a chance to present their defense, to prove they were innocent. They presented their defense earlier this year, before the court went into recess without delivering a verdict. Because even those convicted are now out of jail, Netsanet and Daniel hoped that the court would quickly reach its decision when it reconvened in October.

Unfortunately, the court delayed its decision in October. We’re now hoping for a decision in November. November 8, 2007 marks two years that these human rights advocates have been in jail.

Netsanet is the founder of the Organisation for Social Justice in Ethiopia. OSJE was chosen by civil society organizations in Ethiopia to be the secretariat of a 35-member network to monitor the May 2005 elections. In April of that year, the Government of Ethiopia made it illegal for most of the organizations in the coalition to act as election observers. OSJE, under the leadership of Netsanet Demissie, challenged the law in court and won. ELAW fears that it was this action, and other actions to ensure democracy and the rule of law in Ethiopia, that led to Netsanet`s detention.

Netsanet and Daniel are both recognized by Amnesty International as prisoners of conscience.

For more information, contact:

Maggie Keenan
Communications Director
Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW)
http://www.elaw.org
541.687.8454 ext. 23