Dinner Party organized by Unity Toronto for Former Political Prisoners in Addis Ababa September 07 2018

Semayawi Party president Mr. Yeshwas Aseffa will have a discussion forum on current Ethiopian political situation . You are all invited

“We are Like the Dead” Torture and other Human Rights Abuses in Jail Ogaden, Somali Regional State, Ethiopia

  Summary

Jail Ogden is unthinkable. From the moment you are put there until the moment you are released, you do not know if you are alive or dead. You are tortured and humiliated day and night, you are starved, [and] you can’t sleep because there’s so many people.
—42-year-old Mohamed who spent five years without charge in Jail Ogaden, August 2017

In the heart of the eastern city of Jijiga, just five minutes from the University, lies one of the most notorious detention centers in Ethiopia. Jail Ogaden, officially known as Jijiga Central Prison, is home to thousands of prisoners, who are brutalized and neglected. Many have never been charged or convicted of any crime.

Interview: Years of Untold Suffering at Jail Ogahttps:

In the Somali region of Ethiopia, it seems like everyone knows someone who was locked up in the dreaded Jail Ogaden, but no one wants to speak about the horrors there. Audrey Wabwire speaks to Felix Horne about the new Human Rights Watch report on Jail Ogaden, and about what it takes to restore hope to many who have silently suffered in the Somali region and across Ethiopia.

READ THE Q&A HERE

Former prisoners described a horrific reality of constant abuse and torture, with no access to adequate medical care, family, lawyers, or even, at times, food. Officials stripped naked and beat prisoners and forced them to perform humiliating acts in front of the entire prison population, as punishment and to instill shame and fear. In overcrowded cells, head prisoners, called kabbas, beat and harassed prisoners at night during interrogations, passing notes on to prison leaders who then chose some for further punishment. The purpose of the torture and humiliation was to coerce prisoners to “confess” to membership in the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), a banned opposition group.
This report, based on almost 100 interviews, including 70 former prisoners of Jail Ogaden, documents torture and other serious abuses, including rape, long term arbitrary detention, and horrific detention conditions in Jail Ogaden in Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State (Somali Region) between 2011 and early 2018. Interviewees also included government officials and members of Somali Region security.

follow the link for full detail https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/07/04/we-are-dead/torture-and-other-human-rights-abuses-jail-ogaden-somali-regional

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlvuRq9CJzs&feature=youtu.be 

Ethiopian opposition labels Johannesburg death a government assassination

On Saturday 21 April Gezahegn Gebremeskel was shot down in cold blood in Johannesburg. The Ethiopian community lays responsibility for the death of Gezahegn at the door of the Ethiopian government.

A spokesman for the community said Gezahegn had protested outside a meeting at the Ethiopian embassy of a South Korean delegation the day before. He had been hustled outside and threatened with death.  A day later he was gunned down. The community say this is not the first time such threats have been issued.

Below is an opposition account of what happened.

Source: ESAT News (April 23, 2018)

Gezahegn Gebremeskel, known in the community as Gezahegn Nebro, was shot and killed in a cold blooded murder on Saturday, sending shock waves to Ethiopians across the globe.

The news and photos of his dead body quickly spread on social media with condolences pouring in from Ethiopians from all corners of the world.

Nebro was at the Ethiopian Embassy in Johannesburg on Friday, a day before his assassination, protesting a meeting held by Tigrayans and supporters of the minority ethnic regime in Addis Ababa.

Friends of Nebro told ESAT that staff at the Embassy had threatened to kill Nebro if he does not stop his activism.

The Ethiopian Embassy has been mum on the issue. It has not expressed concern over the killing of its citizen, nor has it denied the allegations.

Nebro escaped an assassination attempt in 2012.

The former airborne with the Ethiopian army was well known in the community and has been instrumental in bringing together the Ethiopian community to stand up against tyranny back in his country.

It was learnt that the assailant shot Nebro at close range and fled the scene.

Community leaders told ESAT that they are hiring independent investigators to find Nebro’s killers and their accomplices.

Hired guns are not unusual in Johannesburg, a city with one of the highest rates of gun violence and murder.

source

https://martinplaut.wordpress.com/2018/04/24/ethiopian-opposition-labels-johannesburg-death-a-government-assassination/

Nigist Yirga / አክቲቪስት ንግስት ይርጋ የእስር ቤት ስቃይ በአኒሜሽን ቪዲዮ

ኢሰመፕ በእስረኞች ላይ የሚደርሰውን የመብት ጥሰት የመሰነድ ፕሮጅክቱን መሰረት አድርጎ የሚከተለውን በአክቲቪስት ንግስት ይርጋን የእስር ቤት ስቃይ በአኒሜሽን ቪዲዮ አዘጋጅቶ አቅርቦላችኋል፡፡ ይመልከቱ! ያጋሩ ! ለወዳጅ ዘመድ ጓደኛ ያሳዩ!

Ethiopian and Eritrean Refugees Celebrate New Year eve in Toronto

                         

                                       They paid tribute to the families of political prisoners  

Ethiopian and Eritrean in Toronto, Canada, have gathered to celebrate new year together at Hirut Restaurant, in Toronto on December 31st, 2017. The event is organized by Unity for Human Rights and Democracy (UHRD), a Toronto-based not for profit organization. The program commenced with a moment of silence in remembrance of the victims of political killings in Ethiopia and Eritrea.  

The organizers of the event stated that the program is mainly about celebrating the resilience of refugees to get to Canada passing through several hurdles and their accomplishments in the year 2017. The organizers also stated that creating the platform for the refugees from the two communities to welcoming the new year with new hope and optimism is the second objective of the event. In this regard, the UHRD reported that it was able to provide regular monthly financial assistance to 6 families of political prisoners in Ethiopia during 2017. It expressed its hope with growing support of the community that it intends to increase its support. Unity noted the ever increasing number of political prisoners in Ethiopia. Particularly, following the declaration of state of emergency in Ethiopia in October 2016, more than 25,000 people were arrested, and currently more than 5,000 of these individuals are believed to be held in detention. The families of these people are suffering from the absence of their loved ones and impoverished due to the loss of breadwinners of the family. In light of this, the organizer noted that there is a need to scale up the support to families of political prisoners.  

 Further, the organizers announced that they will endorse new initiative of the Solidarity Movement for New Ethiopia (SMNE). This initiative will aim to bring Ethiopians more closer in search of common values and goals. The message of the SMNE Executive Director, Obang Metho, was delivered at the event, and fundraising event for the support of this initiative was held.  

The event featured the performance of Toronto-based Ethiopian artists. They electrified the hall and moved the audience with their excellent performance. The organizers thanked these artists who volunteered their time and talent for free in the most expensive night of the year. The artists expressed that donating their time and talent is the least they could do in assisting the struggle for freedom in Ethiopia. The audience dinned on traditional Habesha and European cousin prepared by volunteers. The program was successful in raising funds for the families of political prisoner in Ethiopia, SMNE new initiative and fostering social and cultural solidarity between Habsesha community in Toronto. The night was concluded with a wish to organize a bigger event for the next new year eve.