Ethiopia Oromo rebels denounce “harsh” court ruling
April 5, 2010 (ADDIS ABABA) – Ethiopian rebel group, the Oromo Liberation Front(OLF), strongly condemned a recent court ruling against 15 political prisoners saying that the verdict was despicable and filled with pure hatred and contempt the current government has towards the Oromo ethnic majority in general.
In a statement it emailed to Sudan Tribune, the rebel group said that the 3rd Bench of the Federal court has given death sentence on an Oromo nationalist and political prisoner Mesfin Abebe Abdisa and a life prison sentence on another Oromo nationalist and political prisoner Tasfahun Camadaa on March 31, 2010.
The group listed names of 13 other Oromo nationalists’ court gave jail terms of 10 years to 12 years.
“The present mock trial and sham verdict is a continuation of the regime’s systemic violation of human rights and injustice being committed against the Oromo people since it came to power in May 1991.”
The Oromo nationals were charged with having links to the outlawed OLF group and there by conspiring terrorist plot in the capital, Addis Ababa, and various areas of the country. They were further accused of conspiring to topple Oromiya regional government.
The Oromo rebel group however argued that the convicts had committed no crime and they were just prosecuted for standing to the fundamental human rights and dignity of the Oromo people.
“The charges filed against them are trumped-up charges,” OLF statement said adding “They did not get a fair trial. The kangaroo Court that passed the unjust sentences and condemned the Oromo political prisoners was neither independent nor impartial; it is the tyrannical minority regime instrument of repression.”
Among the convicted, two of them, Tesfahun Chemeda and Mesfin Abebe were apprehended by the Kenyan Government and handed in to the Ethiopian government in 27 April 2007.
The rebels said the “political refugees” were deported to Ethiopia by a neighboring country, in contravention of the Geneva Convention, and were made to face the TPLF regime human slaughter machine. “This is an example of the international travesty of justice against the Oromo nationals,”the rebels stressed.
Among convicted is Bekele Jirata , the secretary general of the OFDM political party(one among major opposition groups of the country) and was arrested on November 04, 2008 in accusation of ties to OLF. He was released on bail on February 04, 2009. Mrs Lelise Wodajo is another one. She is a former journalist in the government run Ethiopian TV and a mother of three. She was arrested on October 30, 2008 and stayed in jail since then. According to the group, her husband was also been jailed for more than three years and went to exile, after being released.
The rebel group vowed to step up its struggle despite what it said are an intensified and ethnic- targeted atrocities by Prime minister Meles Zenawi-led government.
“We call upon all Oromos to intensify their just struggle for their freedom.”
OLF is an organization established in 1973 by Oromo nationalists to promote self-determination for the Oromo people against what they call “Abyssinian colonial rule”.
It has been designated as a terrorist organization by the Ethiopian government. Addis Ababa holds the group responsible being behind a number of bomb attacks that followed o the country’s 2005 election, where accusations of vote rigging led to blood shed.
(ST)