January 17/2002

 DENIAL OF DUE PROCESS:WHERE IS MAJOR TSEHAY?

 Imprisoned since last May 2001 and accused of shooting the EPRDF security chief Kinfe Gebre Medhin, Major Tsehay Wolde Sellasie, has virtually "disappeared" from the scene. He has not been charged nor brought before any court of law up to now. This is in clear violation of the due process of law that should have been in vigor.

Major Tsehay's fate has been kept secret and has consequently led to speculations and assumptions. The fact that the EPRDF controlled radio Fana falsely reported that the Major had been wounded has led to the speculation that "grounds re being prepared to justify his execution under the cover that he has succumbed from his wounds". The killing of security chief Kinfe Gebre Medhin, obviously a consequence of the political crisis within dominant TPLF, is shrouded by mystery and there are many quarters who claim that the act was ordered by the Prime Minister himself. Be that as it may, what is pertinent is that the accused has been denied his rights and the incident once again shows that the violation of the rule of law is becoming routine in the practice of the EPRDF.

 In a related news, former top government and ruling front officials Abate Kesho and Bitew Belay, now both in the ranks of the accused, have made it known that their lawyers have been denied the chance to read in court their written rebuttal of the accusations. As SOCEPP had stated time and again, the EPRDF is conducting a political trial against its and manipulating the courts and the judicial system to punish its opposers.

SOCEPP