Ethiopians in Brussels demand Zenawi be brought to justice

By Ethiomedia Reporter
Novemeber 17, 2006

Ethiopians say the future of Meles Zenawi is in a "court of law for his crimes." (Photo: Reuters/Yves Herman: November 17, 2006 - Belgium)

Meles Zenawi, who has locked up leaders of the popular Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (CUDP-Kinijit), the opposition which nearly brought Mr. Zenawi's 14-year-old rule to an end in the 2005 elections, banned the independent press and jailed most of the human rights activists, was the center of condemnation of Ethiopians who converged on the Belgian capital from all over Europe.

A scheduled 25-minute-speech of the prime minister, who was visibly shaken, was cut down to a four-minute chatter because Ethiopians who were inside the conference stood up and kept on protesting," CUDP European Chapter spokesperson Getachew Wanna told Radio Deutche Welle.

EthioGuardian, an Ethiopian website also reported that Mr. Zenawi was the only one who from among African leaders came under fire as the wrath of angry protesters tormented the dictator with slogans: "Zenawi is a killer!", "Zenawi must be brought to justice!", "Zenawi must be tried for his crimes."

Thousands of Ethiopian protesters were in the meantime outside the conference hall busy protesting against the European Commission whose unparalleled hypocrisy brought a gross human rights violator in the likes of Zenawi to address such important issues as "good governance," an Ethiomedia source said.