06/09/06 (B411) LDDH : information sur les arrestations des membres du conseil éthiopien pour les Droits de l’Homme et appel de l’EHAHRD.



Le Président

DIFFUSION D’INFORMATION
DU 5 SEPTEMBRE 2007

SUR LES ARRESTATIONS
DES MEMBRES DU ETHIOPIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL,

La situation des Défenseurs des Droits de l’Homme et des Journalistes en
Ethiopie est plus qu’alarmante tant à Addis Abeba que dans les Zones dit
Autonomes où les informations restent souvent étouffées par les Forces
armées.

Tous les Défenseurs de la Ligue Djiboutienne des Droits Humains restent
solidaires aux souffrances du peuple frère de l’Ethiopie et en particulier
aux souffrances de tous les Défenseurs et de leurs proches constamment
harcelés et martyrisés.

M. NOEL ABDI Jean-Paul

________________________________________________________

EAST AND HORN OF AFRICA HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS NETWORK

KAMPALA: EHAHRD-Net CALLS FOR URGENT RELEASE OF EHRCO MEMBERS

The East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (EHAHRD-Net) is
disturbed by news of the arrest of three executive committee members of the
Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) who were recently arrested along with
12 other individuals in Nekemte town, Eastern Wellega Zone in the Oromia
Region.

According to information received from EHAHRD-Net’s focal point EHRCO, the
15 persons were arrested August 23, 2007 and have not been produced in court
since. EHRCO further states that "The police came with a search warrant
stating that they are suspected of hiding arms and papers calling for
violence, " adding that "Although they searched their homes and found
nothing, they took away the individuals without an arrest warrant and held
them in detention since then." The three EHRCO members arrested are; Tesfa
Burayu (EHRCO Nekemte Office Executive Committee Member), Ibsa Wake (EHRCO
Nekemte Office Executive Committee Member), and Fekadu Negeri (EHRCO Nekemte
Office Executive Committee Member).

"EHAHRDP reaffirms the position of regional and international human rights
standards including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the
African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which requires that lawfulness
and necessity of holding someone in custody must be determined by a court or
any other appropriate judicial authority. This should not continue beyond
the period for which the State can provide appropriate justification and as
such, persons suspected of committing any crime must be promptly charged
with legitimate criminal offences. As the country prepares to celebrate the
Millennium on September 12th 2007, it is only appropriate to enter this new
era with a clean sheet of human rights observance," says Hassan Shire
Sheikh, Chairperson of EHAHRDP/Net.

APPEAL:

EHAHRD-Net appeals to the Ethiopian Government to;

. Immediately and unconditionally release the said persons or bring them
before a legitimate court for their case to be heard;

. Respect the human rights provisions in its own Federal Constitution and
regional and international human rights instruments regarding the right for
suspects to be accorded a fair hearing.

The Network further appeals to the United Nations High Commissioner for
human rights and the Special Raporteur for human rights defenders at the
African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, to use their mandates and
ensure that the Ethiopian Government heeds to its human rights obligations.

We further urge all our Network members to write to the Ethiopian
authorities to offer the arrested HRDs a fair hearing or release them with
immediate effect.

Send appeals to:

Prime Minister
His Excellency Meles Zenawi
Office of the Prime Minister
PO Box 1031
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Fax: +251 11 1552020
E-mail: national.parliament@telecom.net.et , national.parliament@ethionet.et

Salutation: Dear Prime Minister

Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr Seyoum Mesfin
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
PO Box 393
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Fax: +251 11 551 43 00
Email: mfa.addis@telecom.net.et
Salutation: Dear Minister

Minister of Justice
Mr Assefa Kesito
Ministry of Justice
PO Box 1370
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Fax: +251 11 5517775 / 5520874
Email: ministry-justice@telecom.net.et
Salutation: Dear Minister

Please also send a copy of your letter to the Ethiopian representative in your country.

For further information, please contact:

Tumusiime Kabwende Deo
Press Officer
Regional Coordination Office
EAST AND HORN OF AFRICA HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS PROJECT (EHAHRDP)
Human Rights House, Plot 1853, Lulume Rd., Nsambya
P.O. Box 70356 Kampala, Uganda
Phone: +256-414-510263(general)/ext.112
+256-414-267118(direct)
Fax: +256-414-267117
E-mail: ehahrdp@yahoo.ca, hshire@yorku.ca
Website: http://www.yorku.ca/crs/AHRDP/index.html