The Legacy of violence: State terrorism of TPLF -led Ethiopian government using Anti-Terror Law on political descents must End
Oromo Liberation Front
December 2, 2013 (Oromo Liberation Front)
–The
research and information unit of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) has
conducted a study on the allegiance that accounted for some political
prisoners to be sentenced or otherwise been unjustly detained. The
herewith attached partial list of political prisoners has been collected
from prisons of Kaliti, Torhailoch (Military Police Prison), Maikelawi
and Kilinto. Almost all prisoners are charged for act of terror,
violation of territorial integrity, attempts to overthrow the
constitutional order by violent means and being suspected member of OLF
or any other organizations. These political prisoners are ranging in age
from young High school and University students to elderly civic society
leaders. Professionally they are also diverse from farmer, business
man, government employee; political leaders, journalists and etc. The
overwhelming portions are Oromos and some are also from different nation
and nationalities of Ethiopia.
Most of these political prisoners already gave prison service for
several years; many of them are tortured and subjected to irreversible
mental damages, and some of them were shot to death in the course of
time.
Since the fall of Transitional Government in 1992, Ethiopian
authorities continued to severely restrict basic rights of freedom of
expression, association, and assembly. Violation of human rights is a
daily record of the regime. Instead of solving the root cause of
political conflict, it rather declared war on the Oromo people and its
vanguard Organisation, the OLF. Consequently, many thousands of Oromos
and other nationals were arbitrarily arrested and detained and remain at
risk of torture, ill-treatment and extrajudicial killings. Many of them
were executed during peaceful demonstrations due to excessive use of
force by police or security agents.
The TPLF regime promulgated and adopted the restrictive
Anti-Terrorism Proclamation in 2009. This regime, which from its very
initial, was known for its massive human rights violations is currently
using this law to justify all atrocities it conducted. In this attempt
to hood wink opinions of the international community, the EPRDF regime
is still trying to make others believe that the current problem of the
empire is act of terror but not deep rooted political conflict of
domination.
The OLF vehemently opposes any forms of terrorism and reject the use
of terrorism neither as a form of struggle nor also for suppression of
dissidents by states. Thus, we denounce the Ethiopian state terrorism
that is used to crush any form of struggle and decent.
OLF is cognizant of, and appreciate the concern of various human
rights advocating organizations and some democratic governments that
expressed their concerns about Anti-Terrorism, Press and Civic society
laws of Ethiopia on various international forums.
In a country like Ethiopia where the government structure is
monopolized by a single ethnic group, legalizing the abuse of the
universal human rights is a way that leads for the establishment of a
totalitarian system which is more sustaining than a simple personal
dictatorship. Therefore, OLF alarms that the dangerous political
development sustaining over Ethiopia demands more than just a concern
but towards a proactive action of the international communities and UN
member states. We denounce legalized form of state terrorism and call up
on the international community to exert diplomatic pressure on
Ethiopian government to release all political prisoners unconditionally
and repeal these brutal and repressive laws.
Victory to the Oromo People!
Usman
Bayu Tatago used to work for the Oromian Radio and TV organization
(ORTVO) as a journalist. He worked as a producer and anchor of many
entertainment programs. The government security personnel and ORTVO
authorities were not happy with his programs, because of they focused on
revitalization of the Oromo culture and history. Usman received a
series of warnings, investigation, harassment and imprisonment by
Ethiopian security men.
