Latest Posts

50th Urgent Appeal

Posted on 5th May 2002 by HRCO
Categories: Press Releases
Posted on: May 5, 2002
Region: Addis Ababa

“It is to be recalled that EHRCO too had made its stand clear regarding the case against Dr. Taye Woldesemait in its Special Report No. 3 issued on 27 June 1996. This report was sent to all concerned officials and bodies of the FDRE government. Since then and in addition to following Dr. Taye Woldesemait’s case closely, EHRCO has been demanding, along with other international human rights organizations, the immediate and unconditional release of “Prisoner of Conscience” Dr. Taye Woldesemait who has been in detention for some 6 years. EHRCO would now like to express its support of the demands of international human rights organizations for Dr. Taye’s unconditional release.”

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48th Special Report: Human Rights Violations Committed in Oromiya Region

Posted on 25th April 2002 by HRCO
Categories: Research and Studies, Special Report
Posted on: Apr 25, 2002
Region: Oromia

“On 20 March 2002, officials of the regional government issued a call to students of Darge Senior High School to come on 21 March at 8:00 a. m. to Nekemte multi- purpose meeting hall in order to discuss various issues. The students accepted the call and presented themselves at the meeting hall at the time specified. The officials who had issue the call informed the students that the topic of the discussion would be “speeding up Rural Development” and gave clarifications on the topic.

Then the students expressed their wish to ask questions and when they were given permission, they raised the following questions:

a) How would the rural centered new Oromiya development policy benefit the Oromo people?

b) Why is the forest in our region being destroyed?

c) At present, because the fertilizer debt that the peasant is required to pay has become more than what he can afford to pay, he is forced to sell his domestic animals. What are you planning to do regarding this?”

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Special Report No. 47: Terrorism Does Not Solve Any Problem

Posted on 13th September 2001 by HRCO
Categories: Featured, Press Releases, Special Report
Posted on: Sep 13, 2001
Region: Addis Ababa

“It is with profound sadness that the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) received the news about the tragic plane attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D. C. on 11 September 2001. Many lives and property have been lost as a result of these violent actions.

Being an organisation committed to the peaceful struggle for the protection and respect of human rights, EHRCO has been opposed to the use of any form of violence as a means of attaining one’s goals. Now and in the future, EHRCO will continue to oppose violence against fellow human beings. In its 13th Special Report issued on 2 May 1997, EHRCO had expressed its concern regarding the ever-increasing frequency of violent actions in different parts of Ethiopia. As violent actions destroy the lives and property of otherwise innocent and peaceful people, EHRCO had appealed to those responsible to stop their terrorist actions.

The increasing frequency of terrorist actions and vindictive retaliations in different countries of the world have not only failed to solve the problems that caused them, but also destroyed the lives of thousands of innocent and peaceful people as well as property whose monetary value is difficult to assess. Now again, the violent attacks of 11 September 2001 on the two cities of the United States of America are feared to have destroyed thousands of lives and property worth billions of dollars in addition to causing untold grief around the world. EHRCO condemns these reckless attacks and appeals to all peace-loving peoples and governments of the world to help bring those responsible to justice.”

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Special Report 46: Human Rights Violations Arising From Disrespect for the Rule of Law

Posted on 13th July 2001 by HRCO
Categories: Laws, Special Report
Posted on: Jul 13, 2001
Region: Addis Ababa

“In a political system in which the rule of law is ensured no one will be above the law and all human rights will be respected. If and when these rights are violated, it is possible to find prompt legal solutions. But in a political system where the rule of law is not respected, there will not be accountability and the actions taken on the basis of the decisions of those in power are bound to be illegal and arbitrary. Under these circumstances, laws passed become not more than instruments for the fulfilment of the wishes of those authorities. As this is exactly what is happening in Ethiopia at present, a serious danger is hanging over the effort to build a democratic system, to ensure the rule of law, and to protect human rights. Leaving aside the violations against the rights of citizens and the rule of law of the past several years, looking at those violations committed following the April 2001 university students’ demands for the respect of their rights will be sufficient to show the seriousness of the danger posed.”

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45th Special Report: Human Rights Violations Following Students’ Demands for Their Rights

Posted on 15th June 2001 by HRCO
Categories: Special Report
Posted on: Jun 15, 2001
Region: Addis Ababa

“It is to be recalled that in its 42nd special report entitled “An Appalling and Dangerous Violation of the Rights of Students” and dated 21 April 2001, EHRCO had stated that students of the Addis Ababa University were brutally and dangerously attacked despite the fact that they had peacefully presented their legitimate demands beginning from 10 April to the concerned authorities of the government and the University.

Both the University’s administration and the Minister of Education had then condemned the illegal actions of the police. While the Minister, Woizero Genet Zewde stated that “the entry into the University’s campus of the police without any permission was wrong”, the University’s deputy president, Dr. Engineer Hailu Ayele, on his part, stated in no uncertain words that “the entrance of the police force into the campus without the knowledge of the university and the violent actions it took against the students who were then discussing their demands was illegal (taken from Addis Zemen of 3 April 2001). However, because of the unwillingness of the concerned government authorities in subsequent days to give appropriate responses to the students’ demands, the problems became ever more compounded.”

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Special Report No. 44: Stop the Fabrication of Allegations Against EHRCO!

Posted on 22nd May 2001 by HRCO
Categories: Commentaries, Press Releases, Special Report
Posted on: May 22, 2001
Region: Addis Ababa

–Respect the Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Prof. Mesfin Woldemariamand Dr. Berhanu Nega!

“Professor Mesfin Woldemariam and Dr. Berhanu Nega were arrested and detained by the Federal Police on 8 May 2001. Both human rights defenders were alleged to have incited Addis Ababa University students to riot at a panel discussion organized for them by the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) on 8 April 2001. The panel discussion was organized in response to an earlier written request submitted to EHRCO by the former Student Council of the University. On the basis of a court order, the Federal Police took a series of steps since the arrest of the two intellectuals. It searched the houses of the two human rights activists, searched the offices of EHRCO as well as Dr. Berhanu’s office at the research center of the Ethiopian Economists’ Association. In this search the investigating team took many more documents and material than were specified by the court order. The search was carried out on 11, 12 and 16 May. While no search was conducted on the 14th, 15th and 17th of May, the investigating team decided to seal off EHRCO’s offices, thereby preventing EHRCO’s officials and workers from carrying our/their regular duties until 17 May 2001. The actions taken by the Federal Police against EHRCO, Professor Mesfin Woldemariam and Dr. Berhanu Nega are summarized below.”

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