DECEMBER 7/2004

WHERE ARE TAMRAT AND HIS BROTHERS?

As the EPRDF engages in talks with the Opposition it is imperative that the question of political prisoners assumes its primary place. The EPRDF must release all political prisoners. Dozens of political prisoners who have disappeared must be accounted for.

 TAMRAT GIZATCHEW, MAJOR ADUGNA ADEME BELAYE (also known as DENEKEW), Lieutenants DINKU SHIFERAW (also known as GELAGLE) and TADELLE MENGESHA ALEM  fell into the hands of the EPRDF some years ago and have disappeared since. All were members of the Ethiopian Unity Front and active in the rural areas of Gondar where the Front was operating. Tamrat, Major Adugna and Lt. Dinku were captured in November 1996 while Lt. Tadelle fell into the hands of the EPRDF in December 1996. All of them were taken to an undisclosed location/prison and have disappeared since. Other members of the EUF have also disappeared.

The EPRDF has kept absolute silence on the fate of the above while there are unconfirmed reports that they have been sighted in one of the prisons in Gondar. SOCEPP had tried to make discreet inquiries without making any headway. It should be noted that Tamrat Gizatchew is al ong standing member of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party (EPRP) and that he had been imprisoned for years in the Kerchiele (central prison) by the defunct regime of Mengistu Haile Mariam.

SOCEPP calls on Ethiopian political organizations to take up the case of the above and to demand their immediate release or full report on their whereabouts. The EPRDF of Meles Zenawi must account for the disappeared. Silence on the fate of the above prisoners and others like them is totally unjust and all political reconciliation must make the release of political prisoners a precondition.

SOCEPP