October 20, 2001

 RELEASE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS NOW!

The Ethiopian New Year (September 1994) has come and gone, the ruling EPRDF has held its congresses and a "new" ministerial cabinet appointed, and even some former government officials accused of Red Terror crimes have been releases but there is up to now no news of any political prisoner being released by the government of prime minister Meles Zenawi.

 The EPRDF holds at least 15,000 political prisoners all over the country, including Tigrai which has been kept off bounds from human rights observers. Secret prisons and underground holes serving as detention centers have proliferated all over the country and kept out of sight of prison observatory groups. The government has continued to refuse any account on the whereabouts of scores of prisoners who have disappeared in custody. The government continues to deny that it is holding "even one" political prisoner.

In the past, governments had the practice of amnestying or releasing prisoners come the New year or any other major festive occasion. Not so for the ruling EPRDF. Year after year it has increased the number of political prisoners and released almost none. Despite the release of a few dozen detained officials of the former regime there are still thousands of people accused of Red Terror crimes who are being kept behind bars without any due process of law. The intransigent position if the government is best highlighted by the priem minister's recent public rejection of calls for dialogue and reconciliation with the Opposition.

 The EPRDF must release all political prisoners now and end the false claim that it holds no such prisoners. The release of political prisoners is a healing move that will benefit the society as a whole and even the ruling group itself.

SOCEPP