The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Ethiopia:
Brief description of the situation :
According to the information received, on October 16, 2005, at around 8:00 pm, Mr. Daniel Bekele was attacked in his car by two unknown armed men. Mr. Bekele was just starting his car after having dropped a friend, when the two assaulters stopped him at the gun point and opened his door. One of the men told him “who are you to criticize EPRDF [Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front - ruling party]?”, before hitting him on the eyes and the head, helped by the other man, with the handle of their pistols.
After a moment, Mr. Bekele succeeded in blowing the horn of his car, and the assaulters ran away, while some people came to help him. Mr. Bekele lodged a complaint to the nearest police station, and Actionaid Ethiopia lodged a complaint to the Federal Police Commission. To this date, no investigation has been launched yet.
The Observatory strongly condemns this attack against Mr. Daniel Bekele, and believes it is linked with his activities as member of Executive Committee of the Network of Ethiopian NGOs and other civil society organisations, which monitored May 15, 2005 elections. In this regard, Mr. Bekele had publicly expressed his opinion on irregularities during the electoral process.
The Observatory notes that these facts are blatantly violating the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 9, 1998, in particular article 6(c) which provides that “everyone has the right, individually or in association with others, to study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance, both in law and in practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and, through these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to those matters”, and article 12.2 which stipulates that “the State shall take any necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually or in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure, adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration”.
Action requested:
i. Ensure under all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Daniel Bekele, and of all human rights defenders in Ethiopia;
ii. Put an end to any form of harassment against Mr. Daniel Bekele, and all human rights defenders in Ethiopia;
iii. Conduct a fair, impartial and independent inquiry into these events, in order to identify the perpetrators, bring them to justice and pronounce sentences proportional to the gravity of their crime;
iv. Conform with the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 9, 1998, in particular article 1 which provides that “everyone has the right, individually or in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and the realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international level” and above-mentioned articles 6(c) and 12.2;
v. More generally, conform with the provisions of the Universal Human Rights Declaration and other international instruments ratified by Ethiopia.
Addresses:
Prime Minister, His Excellency Meles Zenawi, Office of the Prime Minister, P O Box 1031, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Fax: + 251 1 552020 / 552030
Minister of Justice, Mr Harka Haroye, Ministry of Justice, P.O. Box 1370, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Fax: + 251 1 51 77 75 / 520874, Email: ministry-justice@telecom.net.et
Ambassador Fisseha Yimer, Permanent Mission of Ethiopia to the United Nations in Geneva, 56 rue de Moillebeau, Case postale 338, 1211 Geneva 19, Switzerland, Email: mission.ethiopia@ties.itu.int / info@ethiopiamission.ch, Fax: +41 22 919 70 29
Please also write to the diplomatic mission or embassy of Ethiopia in your respective country.
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Geneva-Paris, October 24, 2005
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a joint FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders, and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
To contact the Observatory, call the Emergency Line:
Email: observatoire@iprolink.ch
Tel and Fax FIDH: + 33 1 43 55 25 18 / + 33 1 43 55 18 80
Tel and Fax OMCT: + 41 22 809 49 39 / + 41 22 809 49 29