Ethiopia releases 360 detainees arrested over election protests

ADDIS ABABA, June 16 (AFP) — Ethiopia has released 360 people of large numbers of detainees rounded up in a crackdown in post-election violence that wracked the Horn of Africa country last week, police said on Thursday.

“To stabilise the peace that is prevailing now in the city, the federal police have released 360 detainees after investigating their involvement in the violence of last week,” the country’s police department said in a statement broadcast by state media.

Those released only committed monir offences last week been when demonstrators took to the streets to protests against alleged fraud in May 15 polls, sparking deadly clashes that left 36 people dead.

The opposition has said that more than 3,600 of its supporters and activists have been arrested in the crackdown and are being held at a military camp south of the capital.

“Cases of the remaining detainees will be investigated and dealt with in accordance to the law. Those with minor offences will also be released,” the statement added.

Those held are reported to include scores of opposition party employees and at least three investigators with the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) who were probing alleged abuse of people in custody.

Ethiopian authorities have not said how many people are being held since they announced the arrest of 520 students on June 6, many of whom have now been released, but have defended their actions as necessary to preserve the peace.

EHRCO has said most of the arrests were unlawful and that detainees were being held incommunicado and without charge in violation of their constitutional rights, complaints echoed by Human Rights Watch.

Provisional results released by Ethiopia’s electoral commission showed the ruling coalition taking the parliamentary elections, while the opposition insisted it was robbed by ballot fraud. Final results were due July 8.

On Tuesday, under heavy pressure from foreign donors, the government and opposition renewed earlier commitments to non-violence and the peaceful resolution of election disputes.