. PRESS RELEASE

Ginbot 7 condemns Meles' regime brazen disregard for the rule of law and human rights.

December 30, 2008
Press Release

Yesterday, 29 December 2008, Ethiopia’s dictatorial regime of Meles Zenawi arrested one of Ethiopia’s primer opposition leaders, Judge Birtukan Medeksa and brutally assaulted the renowned human rights activist Professor Mesfin Woldemariaam. Ginbot 7 makes a call to all freedom loving Ethiopians and members of the international community to join its effort in condemning this brutal act of Meles Zenawi’s regime.

Ginbot 7, as an organization that has many ex-CUDP leaders in its current leadership, wants to make it clear that every single word used by Judge Birtukan Medeksa to explain the circumstances of the release of CUDP leadership from their nearly two years of illegal incarceration , following the disputed national election of 2005 is wholly accurate and truthful. Consequently, Ginbot 7 believes that the current imprisonment of the chairwoman of Andinet party by the regime in Addis under the pretext that her statement on the condition of her release was untrue, thereby justifying the waving of the pardon given to her and locking her behind bars for life is totally outrageous and driven by other sinister motives other than the excuse that was officially presented.

Ginbot7 believes the imprisonment of Judge Birtukan and the assault on Professor Mesfin is part of a systematic policy to terrorize opposition party leaders, their members and supporters. It has been noted that just preceding Judge Birtukan’s arrest, the Head of AEUP public relation Mrs. Mesobowork Kitaw and the general secretary of The Oromo Federalist Democratic Party Mr Bekele Jireta and other leaders and members of opposition parties have suffered similar illegal imprisonment, harassment and torture. Ginbot7 would also like to stress the fact that the mass arrest of citizens on the basis of their ethnicity has become more frequent in recent days.

The purpose of this new wave of attacks on opposition parties that are operating under the legal framework set by the regime, albeit in an ever narrowing political space is to break the opposition's will and force them to give up their effort to organize the general public to fight for liberty and justice.

Ginbot 7 strongly believes the only way that the brutal regime of Meles Zenawi can be stopped from perpetrating such crimes in Ethiopia is through a coordinated and unified struggle of forces committed for democracy and the rule of law. Ginbot 7, therefore, makes a fresh appeal to all Ethiopians at home and abroad to stand together and show unwavering solidarity with those incarcerated by Meles Zenawi and fight hand in hand to put an end to tyranny in our beloved country.

We call upon the international community to honour their pledge to stand with those seeking freedom and democracy by showing their outrage against the brutal acts of the regime of Meles Zenawi and by calling for an immediate release of Judge Birtukan Medeksa and all other political prisoners in Ethiopia.

Ginbot 7: Movement for Justice Freedom and Democracy

Tel +44 208 1335670
pr@ginbot7.org