Ethiopia’s opposition CUD leaders appear in court

Nov 7, 2005 (ADDIS ABABA) — Leaders of Ethiopia’s main opposition party on Monday appeared in court after their lawyers demanded they be produced following their arrest last week during deadly protests in which at least 46 people were killed.

The 24 Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) senior officials were not charged, but were remanded in custody for 14 days to allow prosecutors to complete investigations, their lawyer Tesaome Gebremariam told AFP.

“These were essentially the leadership of CUD party. The court decided to remand them in prison for the next 14 days for purposes of investigations,” he added.

“Their physical condition is good. The court instructed the police to allow the detainees to talk with their lawyers and families and (said they) should be given medicine as they require,” Tesaome said, adding that the leaders were held incommunicado since November 1.

Earlier, lawyers said that police had refused to grant lawyers or relatives access to CUD officials since their arrests in the wake of deadly demonstrations over alleged fraud in May polls, according to the president of the Ethiopian Bar Association, Getachew Kitaw.

“There is a massive contravention of constitutional rights, so as lawyers we have to guarantee that the Constitution is implemented,” he said.

Also being held are two officials from the Amharic-language weekly Hadar who were taken into custody on Wednesday.

“We are filing a habeas corpus court application for 20 people, because the prisoners have not been presented to a court within 48 hours as required by the law,” Kitaw said.

The families of elderly CUD members such as Mesfin Woldemariam, 75, and Hailu Shawel, 70, are concerned about their welfare.

“I am very worried about my brother. He is 75 and has been very ill the past four months. Each time I went to see him, the police stopped me meeting him,” said Woldemariam’s sister, Zeleka Woldemariam.

At least 46 people died, many from gunshot wounds, and more than 200 were injured in clashes between opposition supporters and police, chiefly in the national capital and four other towns.

The violence erupted Tuesday with protests against the results of Ethiopia’s May elections, which the opposition claims were fraudulently won by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s ruling party.

Between 3,000 and 4,000 people have been arrested in Addis Ababa in the past week, diplomatic sources said.

There were no reports of any further incidents across the country Monday, but shops in Addis Ababa remained closed and taxis still had not resumed services.

(AFP)