Reports indicated that the provision of the population, including politicizing access legal aid and interpretation to asylum-seekers to job and education opportunities and had improved. development assistance, and high levels of physical and technological surveillance. COUNTER-TERROR AND SECURITY The politicization of the investigative branch In October, following a request from the of the police and of the judiciary meant that USA, the government agreed to accept for it was not possible to receive a fair hearing in resettlement a former Guantánamo detainee. politically motivated trials. Neither his identity nor the date of transfer Federal and regional security services were disclosed. were responsible for violations throughout the country, including arbitrary arrests, the use of excessive force, torture and extrajudicial executions. They operated with near- total impunity. Armed opposition groups remained in several parts of the country or in neighbouring Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia countries, although in most cases with small Head of state: Mulatu Teshome Wirtu numbers of fighters and low levels of activity. Head of government: Hailemariam Desalegn Access to some parts of the continued to be severely restricted. There were continuing reports of serious violations Freedom of expression continued to of human rights, including arbitrary arrests be subject to serious restrictions. The and extrajudicial executions. There were also government was hostile to suggestions multiple allegations of the rape of women and of dissent, and often made pre-emptive girls by members of the security services. arrests to prevent dissent from manifesting. Independent media publications were EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE - subject to further attack. Peaceful EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTIONS protesters, journalists, and members of In April and May, protests took place across opposition political parties were arbitrarily region against a proposed “Integrated arrested. The Charities and Societies Master Plan” to expand the capital Addis Proclamation continued to obstruct the Ababa into Oromia regional territory. The work of human rights organizations. government said the plan would bring Arbitrary detention and torture and other services to remote areas, but many Oromo ill-treatment were widespread, often used people feared it would damage the interests as part of a system for silencing actual or of Oromo farmers and lead to large-scale suspected dissent. displacement. Security services, comprising federal BACKGROUND police and military special forces, responded Economic growth continued apace, along with with excessive force, firing live ammunition significant foreign investment including in the at protesters in Ambo and Guder towns agriculture, construction and manufacturing and Wallega and Madawalabu universities, sectors, large-scale development projects resulting in the deaths of at least 30 people, such as hydroelectric dam building and including children. Hundreds of people were plantations, and widespread land-leasing, beaten by security service agents during often to foreign companies. and after the protests, including protesters, The government used multiple channels bystanders, and parents of protesters for and methods to enforce political control on

148 Amnesty International Report 2014/15 failing to “control” their children, resulting in In July, they were charged with terrorism scores of injuries. offences, along with another Zone 9 member Thousands of people were arbitrarily charged in their absence. The charge sheet arrested. Large numbers were detained cited among their alleged crimes the use of without charge for several months, and “Security in a Box” - a selection of open- some were held incommunicado. Hundreds source software and materials created to were held in unofficial places of detention, assist human rights defenders, particularly including Senkele police training camp. Some those working in repressive environments. detainees were transferred to Maikelawi Six of the group said they were forced federal police detention centre in Addis to sign confessions. Three complained Ababa. Over 100 people continued to be in remand hearings that they had been detained in Kelem Wallega, Jimma and Ambo tortured, but the court did not investigate their by security service agents after courts ordered complaints. The trial continued at the end their release on bail or unconditionally. of 2014. Many of those arrested were released Early in 2014, a “study” conducted by the after varying detention periods, between May national Press Agency and Ethiopian News and October, but others were denied bail, or Agency and published in the government- remained in detention without charge. Others, run Addis Zemen newspaper targeted including students and members of the seven independent publications, alleging Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC) opposition that they had printed several articles which political party, were prosecuted and convicted “promoted terrorism”, denied economic in rapid trials on various charges relating to growth, belittled the legacy of former Prime the protests. Minister Meles Zenawi, and committed other “transgressions”. In August, the FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, ARBITRARY government announced that it was bringing ARRESTS AND DETENTIONS charges against several of the publications, 2014 saw another onslaught on freedom causing over 20 journalists to flee the of expression and suggestions of dissent, country. In October, the owners of three of including further targeting of the independent the publications were sentenced in their media and arrests of opposition political party absence to over three years’ imprisonment members and peaceful protesters. Several each for allegedly inciting the public to attempts by opposition political parties to overthrow the government and publishing stage demonstrations were obstructed by the unfounded rumours. authorities. The Anti-Terrorism Proclamation The OFC opposition party reported that continued to be used to silence dissidents. between 350 and 500 of its members were Opposition party members were increasingly arrested between May and July, including targeted ahead of the 2015 general election. party leadership. The arrests started in In late April, six bloggers of the Zone 9 the context of the “Master Plan” protests, collective and three independent journalists but continued for several months. Many of associated with the group were arrested those arrested were detained arbitrarily and in , two days after the group incommunicado. OFC members were among announced the resumption of activities, over 200 people arrested in Oromia in mid- which had been suspended due to significant September, and further party members were harassment. For nearly three months, all arrested in October. nine were held in the underground section of On 8 July, Habtamu Ayalew and Daniel Maikelawi, denied access to family members Shebeshi, of the Unity for Democracy and and other visitors, and with severely restricted Justice (UDJ) Party, and Yeshewas Asefa of access to lawyers. the Semayawi Party were arrested in Addis

Amnesty International Report 2014/15 149 Ababa. Abraha Desta of the Arena Tigray detention centres, including Maikelawi. Many Party, and a lecturer at Mekele University, detainees were held incommunicado, and was arrested in Tigray, and was transferred many were denied access to lawyers and to Addis Ababa. They were detained in family members. Maikelawi and initially denied access to Numerous prisoners of conscience, lawyers and family. In late October, they imprisoned in previous years based solely on were charged under the Anti-Terrorism their peaceful exercise of their freedom of Proclamation. Yeshewas Asefa complained in expression and opinion, including journalists court that he had been tortured in detention. and opposition political party members, The Semayawi Party reported numerous remained in detention. These included some arrests of its members, including seven convicted in unfair trials, some whose trials women arrested in March during a run to continued, and some who continued to be mark International Women’s Day in Addis detained without charge. Ababa, along with three men, also members Access to detention centres for monitoring of the party. They had been chanting slogans and documenting the treatment of detainees including “We need freedom! Free political continued to be severely restricted. prisoners!” They were released without charge after 10 days. In late April, 20 members of TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT the party were arrested while promoting a Torture took place in local police stations, demonstration in Addis Ababa. They were Maikelawi federal police station, federal and released after 11 days. regional prisons and military camps. In early September, Befekadu Abebe and Torture methods reported included: Getahun Beyene, party officials in Arba Minch beating with sticks, rubber batons, gun city, were arrested along with three party butts and other objects; burning; tying in members. Befekadu Abebe and Getahun stress positions; electric shocks; and forced Beyene were transferred to Maikelawi prolonged physical exercise. Some detention detention centre in Addis Ababa. In the initial conditions amounted to torture, including stages of detention, they were reportedly detaining people underground without denied access to lawyers and family light, shackled and in prolonged solitary members. In late October, party member confinement. Agbaw Setegn, was arrested in Gondar, and Torture typically took place in the early was also transferred to Maikelawi, and held stages of detention, in conjunction with the incommunicado without access to lawyers interrogation of the detainee. Torture was or family. used to force detainees to confess, to sign On 27 October, editor Temesgen Desalegn incriminating evidence and to incriminate was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment others. Those subjected to torture included for “defamation” and “inciting the public prisoners of conscience, who were arrested through false rumours”, in the now-defunct for their perceived or actual expression publication Feteh, after a trial that had lasted of dissent. more than two years. The publisher of Feteh Defendants in several trials complained in was also convicted in their absence. court that they were tortured or otherwise ill- People were detained arbitrarily without treated in detention. The courts failed to order charge for long periods in the initial stages, investigations into the complaints. or throughout the duration, of their detention In several cases, prisoners of conscience including numerous people arrested for were denied access to adequate peaceful opposition to the government or medical care. their imputed political opinion. Arbitrary detention took place in official and unofficial

150 Amnesty International Report 2014/15 OROMIA REGION On 23 June, UK national Andargachew Ethnic Oromos continued to suffer many Tsige, Secretary General of the outlawed violations of human rights in efforts to Ginbot 7 movement, was rendered from suppress potential dissent in the region. Yemen to Ethiopia. On 8 July, a broadcast Large numbers of Oromo people continued was aired on state-run ETV showing Tsige to be arrested or remained in detention looking haggard and exhausted. By the after arrests in previous years, based on end of the year, he was still detained their peaceful expression of dissent, or incommunicado at an undisclosed location, in numerous cases, based only on their with no access to lawyers or family. The UK suspected opposition to the government. government continued to be denied consular Arrests were arbitrary, often made pre- access, except for two meetings with the emptively and without evidence of a crime. Ambassador, to one of which Andargachew Many were detained without charge or trial, Tsige was brought hooded, and they were not and large numbers were detained in unofficial permitted to talk privately. places of detention, particularly in military In March, former Gambella regional camps throughout the region. There was no governor Okello Akway, who has Norwegian accountability for enforced disappearances citizenship, was forcibly returned to Ethiopia or extrajudicial executions during 2014 or in from South Sudan. In June, he was charged previous years. with terrorism offences along with several In the aftermath of the “Master Plan” other people, in connection with Gambella protests, increased levels of arrests of actual opposition movements in exile. or suspected dissenters continued. Large numbers of arrests were reported, including several hundred in early October in Hurumu and Yayu Woredas districts in Illubabor province, of high-school students, farmers FIJI and other residents. There were further reports of arrests Republic of Fiji of students asking about the fate of their Head of state: Ratu Epeli Nailatikau classmates arrested during the “Master Plan” Head of government: Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama protests, demanding their release and justice for those killed, including 27 reported to have been arrested in Wallega University in Laws, policies and practices failed to late November. adequately protect human rights, placing sweeping restrictions on freedoms of REFUGEES AND ASYLUM-SEEKERS expression, peaceful assembly and Forcible returns association. Victims of serious human rights Ethiopian government agents were active in violations, including torture and other ill- many countries, some of which cooperated treatment, were unable to seek redress in with the Ethiopian authorities in forcibly the courts due to widespread immunities for returning people wanted by the government. government officials and security forces. In January, two representatives of the rebel Ogaden National Liberation Front were BACKGROUND abducted and forcibly returned to Ethiopia In September Fiji held its first election from Nairobi, Kenya. They were in Nairobi to since the 2006 military coup. New electoral participate in further peace talks between the laws expanded restrictions on freedom group and the government. of expression. A climate of fear and self- censorship prevailed. Abuses by security

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