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. ETHIOPIA 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 Somali region 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 Oromia 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 Addis Ababa, 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,