March 15, 2003

 OPEN LETTER TO FREDERICH EBERT FOUNDATION

 INVITING KEMAL BADRI TO SPEAK ON DEMOCRACY IS TO DISREGARD THE PLIGHT OF THE ETHIOPIAN PEOPLE AND THE RESPECT OF RIGHTS

Kemal Bedri, a longtime EPRDF judge and partisan, has been invited to Bonn,Germany, (March 18-20/"Which Way Africa?"/ by the Frederich Ebert foundation as a keynote speaker on the question of democracy. This is evidently a sad act which shows utter disregard for the plight of the Ethiopian people and their struggle to assure their human rights.

Kemal Badri is a top official of the judicial machinery in Ethiopia which is controlled by the ruling TPLF/EPRDF and which has been at the center of the violation of the human rights of the vast majority. Mention Kemal Badri and the illegal courts and the trampling of the rule of law come to mind. Kemal Badri as an individual and as an official within a system is anathema to democracy, to the rule of law, to notions of justice and democracy. There is absolutely no need at the present time to prove the obvious, that is the fact that the EPRDF routinely violates the right sof the people, that there is little or nom rule of law or due process. Kemal Badri had for long been a central figure in the violation of the rights of the people. This being the reality, Kemal badri deserves not applause but vigorous condemnation.

 The Frederich Ebert Foundation is not a novice when it comes to information on what is going on in Ethiopia and SOCEPP finds ikt hard to believe that it considers Kemal Badri a respectable person to address others on the issue of democracy in Africa. Even as a joke it will be a cruel joke indeed. SOCEPP firmly opposes the invitation sent to Kemal Badri by the FE Foundation and demands its immediate revocation. Failing this, all persons concerned with the respect of human rights in Ethiopia should boycott the Kemal Badri address in Bonn.

 Please address your protests to the Frederich Ebert Foundation.

SOCEPP