April 17, 2002

LETTER TO THE EUROPEAN UNION

H.E. JAVIER SOLANA

SECRETARY GENERAL EUROPEAN COUNCIL

SIR,

SOCEPP is a non political, non profit humanitarian organization that has been for the last six years following up the human rights situation in Ethiopia, exposing the violations and calling for the respect of the rights of the people.

SOCEPP is addressing this letter to the EU to remind the august body of its "human rights clause" and to request that it examines its aid policy towards the EPRDF in Ethiopia headed by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. It is sad to note that the EU continues to give massive financial aid to a regime that routinely violates the rights of millions of people. It is inconsistent with the EU's declared principles to put it mildly.

The EPRDF regime holds close to 15,000 political prisonersall over the country. It runs "ghost prisons" and labour camps like the ones in Zwai and Shoa Robit. It has been condemned for systematically torturing prisoners, for imprisoning journalists and muzzling the press, for routinely violating the rule of law. It has been internationally condemned for practicing ethnic discrimination, for killing or repressing dissidents, for violently suppressing peaceful dissent as it did last year when university students demonstrated peacefully (death toll of more than 100 people). It detains people without a court warrant and uses its illegal control of the judiciary to railroad and punish political opponents. The human rights of the EPRDF is dismal and with every passing year there is little that has improved. Surprisingly though, this fact seems to have escaped the attention of the EU which continues to pour in money to the EPRDF coffers.

Respected Sir, SOCEPP calls upon the EU to examine its policies towards the EPRDF, to link its aid policy to the human rights respect clause it had set before and to vigorously express its principled stand by calling for the respect of human rights in Ethiopia.

Thank you.

Ezra Natnael

Solidarity Committee for Ethiopian Political Prisoners

Postfach 610340

10925 Berlin

 Germany.

 E mail:   socepp@aol.com