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.  PRESS RELEASE |
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Low Verdict In a High Court - The Political Drama of Meles Zenawi November 27, 2009 Meles Zenawi's kangaroo court handed down a "guilty verdict" against the top leadership of Ginbot 7, Movement for Justice, Freedom, and Democracy. In its farcical trial referred to as "The case of General Tefera Mamo et al", the kangaroo court delivered a political verdict in a court room that mostly resembled a Shakespearian drama hall. In any modern democracy, suspects are innocent until proven guilty. This is the basic tenet of a legal system, and it is the mechanism through which charges brought against individuals are proven without a reasonable doubt. In Zenawi's kangaroo court, a suspect is considered guilty the minute Zenawi, or any of his thugs, issue the arrest warrant. Any court proceedings, thereafter, are a shameful charade being played out to placate donors and the diplomatic community. We do not believe any person of normal faculties would mistake what goes on in Ethiopia for even a gross approximation of a legal system. It is simply a neutralization and extermination system the regime uses to deal with any form of dissent or, as in this case, satiate its paranoia. In the last 18 years, no perceived or real political enemy has received a fair trial in Zenawi's court, including his life long comrade-in-arms. Meles Zenawi's regime may have passed a death sentence on the top leadership of Ginbot 7 and the other 27 suspects, but this will only galvanize the opposition towards the inevitable end of Meles and his ethnocratic regime. As testament to the frivolity of the sentences that are being sought by the executioners masquerading as prosecutors, two of the prisoners were promised reduced sentences for admitting their guilt. The rest of the victims have stated their obvious innocence to the deaf ears of the hyenas sitting on their podiums of murder. No matter the outcome of this charade, Zenawi's actions against General Tefera Mamo and his comrades will only showcase the freedom fighting spirit of these timeless heroes and hasten his assured demise. Ginbot 7 vehemently condemns Zenawi's show trial and its consequent sham ruling that violates not only international human rights laws, but, Zenawi's own constitution upon which the "federal court" system was established. Ginbot 7 regards this dark moment of history as another historic opportunity to extend its call for all political parties and civic organizations to stand shoulder to shoulder to bring down the ethnic dictatorship of Meles Zenawi. As President Barack Obama eloquently stated in 2008, "I have unyielding faith that, in the face of impossible odds, people who love their country can change it." Ginbot 7 strongly believes that Ethiopians of all ethnicities and different political persuasions have seen enough horror in their beloved Ethiopia and will unite in one common cause to liberate their country from the tyranny of a pariah minority regime and establish a democratic government that will defend the values of liberty, democracy and, above all, respect for the rule of law.
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Ginbot 7 Movement for Justice, Freedom and Democracy, www.ginbot7.org, Copyright © 2008