Ethiopia frees 2,252 held during election protests

Jan 14, 2006 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopia’s police have released without charge 2,252 people who were detained during a crackdown on protesters against the disputed results of last year’s elections, a state-run newspaper reported Saturday.

The detainees were released Friday after prosecutors said they played a minor role in the bloody protests, The Ethiopian Herald reported. The move raises the number of freed detainees to more than 11,200.

Thousands were detained in the crackdown that targeted opposition leaders and supporters, aid workers, human rights activists and journalists. It followed bloody protests in June and November over May 15 elections that returned Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to power. Opposition parties, which made massive gains in their share of legislative seats but failed to take power, accused the ruling party of rigging the polls.

It was unclear how many people remain in detention. At least 88 people were killed in the protests.

Meles has said that around 3,000 people will face charges for the violence. Western governments have pressed authorities to release the detainees.

International donors have announced they will withdraw US$375 million (A311 million) in aid to the government following the crackdown. The money will be reallocated the U.N. and aid agencies working to combat poverty among the bulk of Ethiopia’s estimated 77 million people who live on less than a dollar (euro) a day.

(AP/ST)