June 11, 1999

The State controlled court presided by the notorious Tigrean judge, Hagos Woldu, has sentenced Dr. Taye Wolde Semayat, the illegally jailed and falsely charged chairman of the Ethiopian Teachers Association , to 15 years of imprisonment. Along with Dr. Taye, Ato Gebretsadik has been sentenced to 13 years, Ato Techane Tale to 10 years, captain Moges Assefa and Ato Telegeta Leul to 8 years each.

The harsh and long sentences given to Dr. Taye and the others confirm once again the arrogance of the ruling EPRDF that has ignored the widespread and popular call for the immediate release of the illegally detained Dr. Taye and other civil rights activists. The whole of Ethiopia knows that Dr. Taye was jailed illegally and that the case against him and the others was concocted by the ruling power itself. The real "crime" of Dr. Taye is his insistence that the ETA should remain autonomous and his publicly expressed opposition to the ethnic rule of the Tigrean dominated government.

SOCEPP has consistently condemned the EPRDF measures against the ETA and the cruel treatment meted out to Dr. Taye. SOCEPP is convinced that Dr. Taye was railroaded and condemned by the notorious Judge Hagos who is not a judge but a virtual government cadre and hatchet man. In Ethiopia, there is no justice, no independent judiciary. During the funeral of Professor Asrat Woldeyes the troops of the government murdered youth Alemeante Mellisew and wounded three others--scores of others were arrested. Many journalists are still languishing in jail, still more have been forced into exile. The violations of rights continues unabated......

 

• We call for the immediate release of Dr. Taye and all the others condemned with him;

 

• we call on all human rights group to join us in the condemnation of the ruling EPRDF for violating the right of free association by repressing the ETA and trampling on due proces of law by railroading prisoners actually being held for plitical reasons;

 

• Dr. Taye and his colleagues are all prisoners of conscience and SOCEPP shall continue to raise its voice for their release.

 

• voice your protest to Prime minister Meles Zenawi (p.o.box 1031, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia-- fax no. 251 1 552020) or to the Ethiopian embassy or consulate near you.