Ethiopia arrests notorious “Red Terror” actor during the Dergue
Oct 21, 2006 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopian authorities have arrested a convict of genocide, Kelbesa Negewo, on Friday 20 October at the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.
Kelbesa, a notorious Red Terror actor during the Dergue — former military government of Mengistu Hailemariam– regime in the then Higher 09 in Addis Ababa, was tried in absentia and sentenced to life on a number of counts of genocide, the state-run ENA reported.
The office said Kelbesa was convicted on the genocide counts he perpetrated in 1978 when he held the infamous office as chairperson of the Revolutionary and Campaign Committee with Higher 09 in addition to his membership with the city council. Kelbesa is only one of the 48 officials in Higher 09 who faced genocide charges filed by the Special Prosecution which was established by proclamation to handle genocide and related crimes perpetrated throughout the country during the former military regime. The Sixth Criminal Bench of the Federal High Court has been looking into the cases of Kelbesa.
Convict Kelbesa had remained at large all along the trials, also refusing to heed summons, including one published in an official newspaper. The Bench, having looked into Kelbesa’s case in absentia, came up with a “guilty” verdict and sentenced him to life in prison on 20 May 2002. This final verdict was accompanied with an order by the court calling on the police to track down and hand over the convict to the prisons administration which was also ordered to see to the sentence.
It was in line with this ruling of the Sixth Criminal Bench that police arrested convict Kelbesa on Friday, 20 October 2006, at the airport.
Earlier on during his absence, Kelbesa was identified in North America by three Ethiopian women.
It was shortly after Kelbesa received a US citizenship that the US immigration authorities launched investigations and found out that he had got the status illegally. The US government then submitted a motion to the Atlanta court demanding annulment of his citizenship status. The court revoked Kelbesa’s status and stripped him of the rights and privileges thereof. On 4 January 2005, he was arrested and put under custody.
(ST)