African human rights watchdog reiterates appeal to Meles Zenawi

Ethiomedia | September 4, 2006

The The East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (EHAHRD-Net) called on the Zenawi government to observe the right to Freedom of Expression as provided for not only by the Ethiopian Federal Constitution, but by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 29 of the African Union’s Kigali Declaration on Human Rights, among others.

The Ethiopian government is a signatory to regional and international human rights instruments and must abide by them, the watchdog said, expressing its concern over the deteriorating human rights situation in the country. Following is the full text of the press release:

To: Ethiopian Prime Minister,
His Excellency Meles Zenawi
Office of the Prime Minister,
P.O Box 1031
Addis Ababa
Fax: +251 11 1552030/ 1552030

Thru: The Ethiopian Ambassador to Uganda
His Excellency Terfa Mengesha
P.O Box 7745, Kampala
Tel. 041-348340
Fax: 041-341885
E-mail: ethiokam@utlonline.co.ug

Your Excellency,

RE: CONCERN OVER ILL TREATMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS UNDER ARREST IN ETHIOPIA

The East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (EHAHRD-Net), comprising of human rights organizations from Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Somaliland, Sudan including Southern Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania, and working to protect the rights of over 220 million people within the sub-region, wishes to express deepest concern over the ever-deteriorating treatment of human rights defenders under continued arrest in Kality prison in Ethiopia.

Particular attention is drawn to the ailing 76-year-old Professor Mesfin Woldemariam, known to be a patient of pneumonia but who has sadly been kept in the harsh cold conditions of the Kality prison. Reports from Network members in Ethiopia say that Professor Mesfin collapsed in his prison cell on August 18th 2006 and was hospitalized in the Addis Ababa Police Hospital. Latest information the Network Secretariat has received indicates that he was returned to prison after responding positively to the treatment though fears are high that his health might fail again. Mesfin is a founder and former Chair of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO), the Focal Point of EHAHRD-Net.

Concern is also drawn to journalists; Eskinder Nega and his partner Serkalem Fassil, a fellow prisoner, and Sisay Agena owner of Ethiop, who are also said to be in equally worrying conditions in prison, and are feared to be ill-treated. Nega, owner of the banned Amharic Weeklies Menilik, Asqual, and Satenaw is denied access to his partner who has to attend to their two-month-old baby. Lately the Network Secretariat has been informed that Nega was moved out of Kality prison to a solitary confinement on August 23rd 2006. This is very worrying because since then, no news has been heard about him as he is not given access to anyone.

The above are among several other HRDs including journalists rounded up into prison in the wake of riots that occurred in the capital Addis Ababa in November 2005 protesting allegedly fraudulent General Elections held in the country in May of the same year.

Your Excellency, you may recall that human rights defenders from the sub-region attending the inaugural Human Rights Defenders Conference for the East and Horn of Africa at Entebbe Uganda between the 31st of October and 4th of November 2005, petitioned His Excellency Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, a copy of which petition was presented to you, about the worsening human rights violations in the country. Since then, the Network has issued a number of public statements asking your government to follow not only the human rights provisions in your government’s constitution, but also those in regional and international human rights instruments. Sadly, we can now report that little has been done to avert the ever-deteriorating condition not only of the above-mentioned individuals but several other HRDs including journalists under detention.

Your Excellency, the Network believes that the above-mentioned victims are simply detained in relation to their human rights work. Yet their rights to operate are clearly provided for among others in: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the 1998 UN Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders, and the 1981 African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Among the provisions in the various Instruments on human rights defenders include; Article 16 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights which states that, “Every individual shall have the right to enjoy the best attainable state of physical and mental health. 2. States Parties to the present Charter shall take the necessary measures to protect the health of their people and to ensure that they receive medical attention when they are sick”; and Article 6 of the 1998 UN Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms states in part that, “Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others: (a) To know, seek, obtain, receive and hold information about all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including having access to information as to how those rights and freedoms are given effect in domestic legislative, judicial or administrative systems…” The Ethiopian government is signatory to these instruments and must therefore adhere to the provisions therein.

It is at this point therefore that the Network re-ignites its appeal to your government to:

• Immediately and unconditionally release the human rights defenders who the Network believe are detained as a result of their human rights work.
• Cease targeting human rights defenders including journalists and their associations, and
• Observe the right to Freedom of Expression as provided for not only by the Ethiopian Federal Constitution, but by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 29 of the African Union’s Kigali Declaration on Human Rights, among others.

Yours Sincerely,

Hassan Shire Sheikh
Chairperson
East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network
PO Box 11027, Kampala, Uganda

COPIES TO:

1. President Girma Wolde-Giorgis
Office of the President,
P.O Box 1031/P.O Box 23698
Ethiopia
Fax: +251 11 5518656

2. Mr. Seyoum Mesfin, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
P.O Box 23698
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Fax: +251 11 5514300
E-mail: mfa.addis@telecom.net.et

3. Mr. Assefa Kesito, Minister of Justice
P.O Box 1370, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Fax: +251 11 5517775/5520874
E-mail: ministry-justice@telecom.net.et