On Thursday, 28 June, people around the world – in Washington DC, Geneva, Pretoria, Accra, Kampala – will rally and deliver petitions at Ethiopian Embassies in an appeal for authorities to acquit and release Daniel and Netsanet. In Pretoria, specifically, members of South African NGO Coalition (SANGOCO), GCAP and CIVICUS, among others, will gather in front of the Ethiopian Embassy at 12noon to make brief speeches and hand over a letter of appeal.

“These two gentlemen are peaceful anti-poverty activists who have been struggling for the betterment of their country. But rather than celebrating their courageous work, their government has imprisoned them and accused them of treason,” said Kumi Naidoo, secretary general of CIVICUS. “The show of solidarity from around the globe is to give hope to Daniel and Netsanet and will remind the Ethiopian authorities that the world is watching this trial with keen interest.”

Daniel and Netsanet, who are both recognised by Amnesty International as prisoners of conscience, were arrested and detained in November 2005. As prominent civil society leaders in Ethiopia, the government accused them of being involved in a conspiracy to overthrow the “constitution and constitutional order”. Since then, Daniel and Netsanet have consistently been refused bail.

Aside from their work with GCAP, Daniel Bekele worked as head of the policy department of ActionAid International Ethiopia. Netsanet Demissie is the founder of Organisation for Social Justice in Ethiopia, a local non-governmental organisation which assisted in monitoring the May 2005 election.

Since Daniel and Netsanet’s arrest, civil society organisations in Ethiopia have reportedly come under increasing scrutiny, and many activists have chosen to remain silent on controversial issues for fear of meeting the same fate.

“Anti-poverty and MDG campaigners across the world are deeply concerned about the detention of their peaceful fellow campaigners Daniel and Netsanet in Ethiopia”, said Salil Shetty, Director of the United Nations Millennium Campaign. “Their immediate release will help the cause of the poorest people in Ethiopia which is the singular objective of the Ethiopian MDG campaign.

At the start of the trial in May 2006, over 100 opposition politicians, journalists and civil society leaders stood accused of a range of charges from genocide to treason. They were among thousands who were detained following protests accusing the government of rigging the 15 May 2005 presidential elections. On 11 June 2007, in the trial’s first verdicts, 38 journalists and opposition politicians were found guilty. The 10 remaining accused are due to appear in court again on 12 July 2007, to present their defence. Trial observers have suggested that the trial could be over as early as the end of July.