January 16, 2002

 DENIAL OF DUE PROCESS BECOMING ROUTINE

The EPRDF has been persistently accused of violating the due process rights of the people and its handling of dissidents from its own ranks has been cited as sufficient proof of its guilt. Arrest without warrant, keeping people in jail for months and years without charging them or bringing them before a court of law, making decrees retroactive to punish the detained, interference with the judicial process, fabrication of evidence, use of force or threats to self-implicate the accused, severe sentencing motivated by political vendetta...and more have been listed as routine practices of the EPRDF.

The dissidents against the rule of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who were themselves members and longtime leaders of the ruling TPLF/EPRDF, have been thrown into prisons by a political decision that has been covered up as anything but. An anti-corruption law has been conveniently proclaimed and used to justify the incarceration of such people as former Defense Minister Seye Abrha and his brothers. Former Prime Minister Tamrst Layne was also railroaded on such grounds and sentenced to more than 15 years of imprisonment. In recent months, he has made it known that officials have tried to pressurize and to bribe him to testify against Seye Abrha and others. Shifferaw Girma, Demelash Arega, Berhanu Jiddo and Belete Alemayehu-all top officials of the Sugar Industries-have been kept in jail for more than eight months without trial and then charged with an anti corruption law that was proclaimed after their incarceration. Negussie Hailu, a co defendant with Abate Kesho (former president of the Southern region), has made it known that documents linked to his defense have disappeared from the court. In most cases, the authorities have used their political power and means to accuse and take punitive action against those who dared to oppose them politically.

The denial of process which now affects those who were members of the ruling group has for long been the lot of other dissidents and trade and civic union leaders such as the teacher's union chairman Dr. Taye who was railroaded through the court and is still denied his legal rights.

SOCEPP