EPRP-Democratic Press Release

December 31, 2007

We Condemn the travesty of justice done to Netsanet Demessie
and Daniel Bekele by the dictatorial ethno-centric regime in Ethiopia

It is with deep sorrow and frustration to have heard that the kangaroo court of
Ethiopia’s repressive regime has ruled against the aforementioned two outstanding and
patriotic citizens of Ethiopia. Though this ruling is NOT unexpected for us Ethiopians,
we condemn this same kangaroo court and the ruling dictatorial regime for keeping these
young Human Rights activists in jail for so long. As some of you may know, Daniel
Bekele was the branch manager of Action Aid International in Ethiopia, which helps poor
people in urban slums and rural areas with basic necessities. Netsanet Demissie is the
founder of the Organization of Justice in Ethiopia, which tries to foster democracy
through education and advocacy. They both helped to coordinate the Civil Society
Election Monitoring Initiative in Ethiopia in May 2005. Amnesty International has listed
them as prisoners of conscience and had called for their unconditional release.

As has been the case with many Ethiopians who were arrested with trumped-up
charges, the regime, using its kangaroo court, has kept these Human Rights activists in
prison by postponing its ruling many times over. Just as before, the ruling of the
kangaroo court is arbitrary and capricious. Just as usual, the ruling has made the call for
justice a mockery. As in the past the ruling violates international norms and conventions.
This is the same kangaroo court which postponed its ruling for years regarding the
fabricated charges brought against the late Professor Asrat Woldeyes, whose death was
facilitated for a lack of treatment while in custody. This is the same kind of treatment and
ruling that the court has passed against the Ethiopian Teachers’ Association leaders such
as Dr. Taye Woldesmayat, many independent newspaper journalists and, CUDP leaders.
This is the same kangaroo court which has postponed its ruling against Abera Yemaneab
for several times and is now holding him for many years in prison.

The EPRP (democratic), whose leaders and members are still languishing in the
jails of the dictatorial regime, and a party which has yet to learn the whereabouts of its
members: Tsegaye Gebre Medhin, Yishak DebreTsion, Sitotaw Hussien, Amha Belete,
Teklai Gebre Sellasie, Hagos Bezabih, Azanaw Demile, Aberash Berta, Tamirat
Gizachew and many others, strongly condemns the ruling passed against these innocent
and gallant Ethiopians. We demand their immediate and unconditional release and we
urge all peace loving organizations, governments, and individuals to do the same.

CC:

• Amnesty International, London & Ottawa; [email protected]
• Human Rights Watch, New York, Toronto, [email protected];
  [email protected]

• Ciara O-Sullivan, GCAP-UK [email protected]
• Kumi Naidoo, CIVICUS- Ethiopia: Tel: 252-911-926 295
• Julie Middleton, CIVICUS -South Africa [email protected]
• Ethiopian human Rights Council: [email protected]
• United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman the Honorable
  Joseph Biden: http://biden.senate.gov/contact/emailjoe.cfm

• United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee Minority Leaders the
  Honorable Richard Lugar: [email protected]

• United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman the Honorable Tom
  Lantos: http://www.congress.org/results/webreturn/?url=http://lantos.house.gov

• United States House Representative the Honorable Donald Payne:
  http://www.congress.org/congressorg/webreturn/?url=http://www.house.gov
  %2Fpayne

• United States House Representative the Honorable Christopher Smith:
  http://www.congress.org/results/webreturn/?url=http://www.house.gov%2Fc
  hrissmith

• The Carter Center: [email protected]
• US State Department Human Rights Practices Reports
• Lawyer’s Committee for Human Rights: [email protected]

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