Ethiopia says detained opposition leaders are well treated

Nov 21, 2005 (ADDIS ABABA) — Opposition CUD leaders and journalists who were put under police custody after being suspected of masterminding and instigating the recent violence said they were being given appropriate care while their rights are ensured.

According to a statement published by the state Ethiopian News Agency, they said the picture of prison they have in mind before they were brought to prison was totally different after they were put under custody.

Ethiopian authorities said on 15 November they have freed more than 8,200 detainees who were seized after days of political unrest. But still an unknown number of Ethiopians, most of them men, are arrested since the political violence three weeks ago, in which police clashed with demonstrators and at least 46 people died.

The mentioned political detainees said they were being visited by their families and lawyers twice a week.

Dr. Yakob Wolde-mariam, Muluneh Eoyoel, Biruk Kebede and Debebe Eshetu told ENA on Sunday that they have access to sanitation and health care services.

Dr. Yakob said there was no any other thing that he would say need to be improved regarding their handling in prison. He suggested that there should be a situation enabling the prisoners to get communicate with each other.

Muluneh expressed his grievance over the failure that they (the prisoners) did not appear in court with in 48 hours earlier.

He however said they have been able now to see their families and lawyers twice a week following the solving of the problems. Though they have access toilets twice a day, he said, policemen need to cooperate to give them more time whenever there is a need.

Biruk said on his part that they (the prisoners) were in good hands. He also suggested that they should be given more time for breezing fresh air and access to sanitation.

Debebe said what he used to think about prison while he was outside was that it was a place where one is tortured and kept in dark room but the reality here was different from what he has in mind before.

He said he had got the prison now as a place where rights are ensured and where one has access to everything he/she asks for.

Editor of Addis Zena, an Amharic weekly, Fasil Yenealem said there was no any problem he had faced so far.
He said they (the prisoners) need to be given more time to have access to sanitation and take fresh air.

Fasil said it was positive that the prisoners were brought to the court but said they did not confess to the police in person so far.

Federal Crime Investigation Department Head Commander Alemayehu Shiferaw said on his part that the rights of the prisoners are ensured.

Responding the complaints expressed by some prisoners that they did not confess to the police until now, Commander Alemayehu said prisoners have been confessing to police but there are some who refused to give their confession to the police.

Besides, he said, it would be difficult for the police to take the words of the prisoners at a time for they are dozen in numbers.

Taking the confession of the prisoners will continue turn by turn, he said.

Information Minister Berhan Hailu said to the Associate Press the mass arrests were justified to restore order to the capital. Calm has returned, although the heavily armed police and troops may have had more to do with that than the arrests.

“More people will be released but the police have to screen them first,” Berhan told The Associated Press. “The police are trying their best to release people but obviously this takes time.”

(ENA/ST)