The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), in the framework of their joint programme, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, express their deep concern about the enforced disappearances and arbitrary detentions of members of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO). These events are directly linked to their monitoring activities of the electoral process on May 15, 2005, and their investigations into the violent crackdown on demonstrators who denounced electoral fraud in Addis Ababa on June 8, 2005 (at least 26 people died and one hundred people were injured - See FIDH press release, dated June 9, 2005).
According to the information received from EHRCO, Mr. Tsegu Birhanu, head of the Monitoring and Investigation Department of EHRCO, and Mr. *Yahred Hailemariam*, his assistant, were arrested by the security forces on June 13, 2005 at 5:30 pm, while leaving the EHRCO office in Addis Ababa. Security forces forced them to get into a car and no news has been heard of them since then. They had been visiting hospitals, taking photographs of the deceased or wounded demonstrators. They were allegedly followed by the police while performing these visits.
In addition, there is still no news of the whereabouts of Mr. Taddesse Chernet, who had been mandated by EHRCO to investigate into the human rights violations during the protests on June 8, 2005. He was arrested during the night of June 8, 2005 at his home in Addis Ababa (see urgent appeal ETH 001 / 0605 / OBS 040, dated June 10, 2005).
EHRCO sent query letters both to the federal police commission and to the Addis Ababa police commission, respectively on June 9 and June 13, 2005. These letters have remained unanswered until now. Moreover, they visited the Addis Ababa police station where they met Mr. Hasen Shifa, the Deputy Chief Commissioner of Addis Ababa police, regarding Mr. Chernet’s case. They were told that he would inquire into the situation. However, when they came back to the police station following the three disappearances, Mr. Shifa told them that nobody was detained in Addis Ababa prison and that he could not help further since he was not responsible if these three persons had been kept in detention somewhere else.
Moreover, the Observatory was informed that Mr. Tesfawe Bekele and Mr. Seifu Degu, both teachers, and respectively, chairperson and vice-chairperson of EHRCO Branch Office in Dessae, were arrested on June 14, 2005 at around 10:00 am, while working at the preparatory school in Dessae. They are currently detained at the fourth police station in Dessae. They were both EHRCO supervisors during the election.
The Observatory is concerned about these enforced disappearances and the arbitrary detentions of these defenders, and fears for their physical and psychological integrity as well as for the security of all other members of EHRCO. The Observatory recalls article 12.2 of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998, which states that “the State shall take all 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.”
The Observatory strongly urges the Ethiopian authorities to:
– guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Messrs. Birhanu, Hailemariam, Chernet, Bekele and Degu, as well as of all EHRCO members and all human rights defenders in Ethiopia;
– order an independent and immediate investigation so as to locate Messrs. Birhanu, Hailemariam, Chernet and make their whereabouts public;
– ensure the immediate and unconditional release of Messrs. Birhanu, Hailemariam, Chernet, Bekele and Degu;
– comply with the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the Assembly General of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, in particular Article 1, which states that “everyone has the right, individually or in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international level”, its article 6.a which states that “everyone has the right to/ /know, seek, obtain, receive and hold information about all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including having access to information as to how those rights and freedoms are given effect in domestic legislative, judicial or administrative systems” and its article 12.2 mentioned above;
– more generally, conform with the provisions of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, and with all other international human rights instruments binding Ethiopia.
For more information, please contact: FIDH: 00 33 1 43 55 25 18 - OMCT: 00 41 22 809 49 39