By Professor Al Mariam
Author’s Note: Following is my translation of the Amharic interview given by Habtamu Ayalew to the Voice of America (VOA), Amharic Program on March 15, 2017 and broadcast on the same day and on March 18 on “Democracy in Action” program. Translation of speech or text often presents some technical problems. Some of them are lexical-semantic; others are grammatical and syntactic. Even more difficult to translate are rhetorical ones involving metaphors and figures of speech. I have aimed for accuracy and meaning in this translation of Habtamu’s words. I have also confirmed with Habtamu and made necessary clarifications to certain statements he made in the interview to ensure the translation accurately represents his intended sense and meaning. Any errors and inaccuracies in translation are exclusively mine. (Full audio of Amharic interview is available HERE.)
This translation and commentary herein have two purposes. First and foremost, my effort here is aimed at helping Habtamu Ayalew communicate his story and harrowing experiences of torture, humiliation, degradation and all manners of abuse he suffered at the hands of the Thugtatorship of the Tigrean Peoples’ Liberation Front (T-TPLF) to international English-speaking and –reading audience. I hasten to add that Habtamu’s story of personal (and family) suffering is neither unique nor personal. Habtamu speaks, and speaks convincingly and powerfully on behalf of the tens of thousands of political prisoners held by the T-TPLF whose names are known only to their families (if the families are lucky enough not to be told the usual T-TPLF lie, “No such person is held in this prison.”) and God. I discuss the second reason for my effort here in the “Post Script” following the translated text of the interview below.
Among the thousands of torture victims in the hands of the T-TPLF today include: Journalists Eskinder Nega, Temesgen Desalegn, Woubshet Taye, Anania Sorri (recently released) and political leaders Dr. Merra Gudina, Andualem Aragie, Bekele Gerba and so many others. A partial list of T-TPLF political prisoners and torture victims with long prison sentences is available HERE.
Who is Ethiopian Patriot Habtamu Ayalew?
Habtamu is one of the few T-TPLF prison torture victims to ever leave Ethiopia alive. He barely managed to survive and tell the harrowing accounts of the horrific torture chambers of the T-TPLF’s notorious Maekelawi and Qilinto Prisons. (For a comprehensive report on the infamous torture chambers of Maekelawi Prison, see Human Rights Watch report, “They Want a Confession”]. In August 2016, a massive fire broke out at Qilinto Prison, a few kilometers south of the capital, where hundreds of political prisoners are held, killing dozens of prisoners. According to a report in Addis Standard, an eyewitness stated that he saw “armed prison guards shooting indiscriminately at prisoners [in Qilinto Prison] [as] most of them were running frantically to extinguish the fire”. Similarly, 0n November 3, 2005, during an alleged disturbance in Kality prison, another prison a few kilometers south of the capital, which lasted 15 minutes, prison guards fired more than 1500 bullets into inmate housing units leaving 17 dead, and 53 severely wounded.)
Voice of America, Amharic Program interview of Habtamu Ayalew first (part 1) broadcast on March 15, 2017 and (part 2) and on March 18 on “Democracy in Action” program.
Segment introduction by VOA Amharic Program radio journalist Alula Kebede: As we noted earlier in the introduction of this broadcast [of Democracy in Action Program], our guest today is Mr. Habtamu Ayalew. He is the former spokesperson for Andenet (Unity) Party. We will be discussing his 2 years in prison in Ethiopia awaiting trial accused of terrorism and listen to his story of the inhumane treatment, suffering and extreme abuse he suffered during his imprisonment and the present health impact of his abuse in prison. He also explains how the inhumane treatment in prison and during interrogation has resulted in the deaths of many prisoners and caused extreme health consequences for others who survived.
The program producer and presenter [interviewer] Solomon Kifle requests parental cooperation in keeping children away from listening to this broadcast because of the extremely shocking revelations in the interview.
PART I OF INTERVIEW AIRED ON MARCH 15, 2017
Solomon Kifle: Begins with Mr. Habtamu’s account of how his abuse in prison began.Habtamu: So in Ethiopia, it has become a badge of citizenship, a sign of the [civically] aware citizen, the distinctive character of the innocent citizen, to be arbitrarily jailed and killed [by the T-TPLF]. For the longest time, from the beginning of EPRDF [“Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front”] rule [the shell front organization for the T-TPLF], it is well known that being jailed has become a badge of citizenship. For me, since I was held at Maekelawi Prison [July 2014] that notorious and ugly place even to the present day, I was subjected to extremely inhumane treatment and abuse which has wounded not only my body but also my conscience [soul]. (For a comprehensive report on the infamous torture chambers of Maekelawi Prions see Human Rights Watch report, “The Want a Confession].)
Solomon Kifle: Was there a time when you were held alone in solitary confinement? For instance, in total darkness?
Habtamu: Well, at Maekelawi, there are eight holding areas [cell blocks] for prisoners. There are empty basements [under the holding areas] that are extremely cold. And the person the interrogators select to put in there, they first douse him with water and lock him up in the extreme cold. The cold inflicts extreme injury to your body. Among these awful rooms [cells], there are two that are regarded as extremely horrible. They are particularly considered to be extremely horrible compared to the others. One is No. 7 and the second is No. 8. No. 8 has four separate rooms [cells] to hold one person each. It is so small that you can only stand. There is no room to stretch your hands or legs. It is so narrow, except for sleeping on your back, there is no space to turn to one side or the other. [Habtamu told me the cells in no. 8 were “like a coffin”.] These are extremely hard dark rooms. I was held in cell no. 7. It is a cell where there are between 13-15 prisoners held piled up on each other. The two walls of the cell are next to the latrine that smelled awful. I was in that extremely awful cell for all four months at Maekelawi. The basement of cell no. 7 is flooded [a water tanker] with water [as Habtamu told me the water reaches the ceiling of the basement when flooded and wets the floor and the prisoner’s mattresses and mats in cell no. 7.] On the left and on the right of cell no. 7 and 8 are latrines. On one side is a latrine called “Tawla” and on the other side is a latrine called “Siberia”, both of which share the basement that is flooded with water to torture prisoners. (For a description of “Tawla”, “Siberia” and “Sheraton” cell blocks, click on link HERE.) During the whole time I was there, I remember quite a number of prisoners who were placed in the cold basements for up to 15 days. After prisoners are held in the flooded cold basement for a period of time, they were taken away. I and five others were held in cell no. 7 during the 4 months I was held [at Maekalawi].
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http://ecadforum.com/2017/04/03/the-torture-chronicles-of-ethiopian-patriot-habtamu-ayalew-in-his-own-words/
