The Federal Police, an entity that has no legal authority under the constitution over the issue of pardon, dispatched some police officers to summon Judge Bertukan Mideksa, the leader of the United for Democracy and Justice Party of Ethiopia, UDJP, to a certain court in District 12, Addis Ababa. When Ms. Bertukan challenged the officers on the legality of their action, the officers resorted to what they commonly do: threatened her life and threw her in jail. These same police officers have beaten and roughed up an elderly and a senior political leader, Professor Mesfin Woldemariam, who reportedly was with Ms Bertukan at the time of her arrest.

The fact that this lawless regime continues to make a mockery of its own laws by jailing public figures on trumped-up charges shows its pettiness and rogue nature. The unprovoked act of Meles Zenawi’s regime to arrest Ms. Bertukan is a glaring testimony to the unbridled abuse of human rights in Ethiopia and the absence of safe and unfettered political environment in the country. Such despicable acts of abuse and cruelty by the ethnocentric regime leave no room for peaceful and spirited political exercise in Ethiopia.

Ms. Bertukan Mideksa, along with many other leaders of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy party (CUDP), had already paid heavy sacrifices in prison for almost 2 years under other fabricated charges of treason and conspiracy to overthrow the regime. Hauling this young and elected leader of a party that is absolutely committed to a peaceful and non-violent struggle to prison for the second time is nothing else but an attempt to frustrate all those political organizations and leaders determined to challenge the regime in peaceful and transparent competition of political ideas and visions. This is a terrible choice that this regime has taken. Through this act of contempt and insolence to the people of Ethiopia the regime has once more proven that it is bent on creating insecurity, anxiety, havoc, and mayhem thereby destroying anything Ethiopian in any event that it can not rule.

The Ethiopian People Revolutionary Party (Democratic) appeals to all peace loving and democratic people all over the world to pay due attention to the continued flagrant violations of human rights and denial of civil liberties in Ethiopia by the regime of Meles Zenawi and demand the immediate and unconditional release of Ms. Bertukan. It is a matter of basic human right that Ms. Bertukan Mideksa should have all the right to defend herself and her party in the court of law and should remain free until proven guilty.

850 Sligo Avenue Suite # 8