DECEMBER 2/2004

Absence of judges is being used as an excuse by the ruling EPRDF to deny prisoners due process and to prolong their illegal incarceration. Former Prime Minister Tamrat Layne, former Minister of Defense Seye Abrha and his brothers, and peace delegate Abera Yemaneab (in prison since 1993) have all been sent back to their kaliti cells on the pretext that the judge/s who were to look into their cases are not present.

Abera Yemaneab came to Addis Ababa from Washington in 1993 to take part in a Peace and Reconciliation Conference and has been illegally imprisoned since that time. Tamrat Layne was accused of corruption, sentenced to 18 years and charged again though his imprisonment is mainly politically motivated. Seye Abrha was also railroaded for political reasons as he fell apart from the present Prime Minister on policy choices concerning the Ethio-Eritrean war. Abera will again appear in court in January.

The absence of judges is also complemented by the police or prosecutor's claim that the need more time to prepare their cases and in this way the prisoners' trip to the courts remains just a formality as they will always be denied due process of law. These are of course the relatively "lucky" ones as many, many more are being detained in secret prisons without any charge or rights and many have also been "disappeared". SOCEPP has called on the EPRDF to release all political prisoners and asked the opposition organizations to make the release of such prisoners part of their basic demand in the ongoing talks with the ruling EPRDF.

End the illegal detentions and imprisonments!!

End the denial of due process of law!!

Release all political prisoners now!!