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Ethiopia Releases Thousands Arrested Since Start of State of Emergency

by Salem Solomon

   Ethiopia has released thousands of protesters who were detained during
   the ongoing state of emergency.
   People detained in Awash, Alage, Bir Sheleko and Tolay centers will be
   allowed to return home after receiving "training," according to the
   state-owned Fana Broadcasting Network. This includes 4,035 people
   released from a center in the Tolay region of southwest Ethiopia. These
   prison locations are unofficial centers mostly located at military
   camps.
   Earlier this week, Ethiopian officials announced that 9,800 people
   arrested during the state of emergency would be released and 2,449
   others would be arraigned in court.
   Speaking to a group of released prisoners at Tolay, Ethiopian Prime
   Minister Hailemariam Desalegn reminded them they are free to protest,
   but not to resort to violence.
   "You might have disagreements, be it with the government or government
   administration, and that is your right. No one can deprive you of this
   right. It is a right enshrined in the constitution," he said.

   "So," he continued, "if tomorrow you have questions, you have the right
   to ask in a peaceful and civilized way. Therefore, if there is anything
   that is prohibited, it is to try and ask questions and look for answers
   using force, creating chaos and rebellion and you will pay a price for
   that."
   Desalegn went on to say the government is undergoing a period of
   self-examination following the crisis.

   "We also have to go through deep rehabilitation similar to what you've
   gone through," he said. "We need to expand democracy. We have come to
   the conclusion that we have to allow discussions among the people,
   especially the youth, listen to their problems and provide solutions."
   Human rights investigation
   Negeri Lencho, Ethiopia's newly appointed communications minister, said
   there is a committee investigating whether there were human rights
   violations during the implementation of the state of emergency. But, he
   said, it is difficult on the ground because sometimes "emotions" rising
   during interactions with protesters and security forces "could turn
   fatal."

   He added that although avoidable, crimes committed during such
   instances and cases will be assessed by an independent body to bring
   justice.
   "No one is above the law," he said in an extended interview with VOA
   Amharic Service.
   For more than a year, protesters across the country, including many in
   the Oromia and Amhara regions, have demanded reforms on issues
   including land rights and poor governance.

   A man attends a prayer session at Biftu Bole Lutheran Church during a
   prayer and candle ceremony for protesters who died in the town of
   Bishoftu, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Oct. 16, 2016.

   On October 2, an Oromo festival in the town of Bishoftu turned deadly
   when a clash with security forces and a stampede left dozens dead. More
   protests followed across the country and the government declared a
   state of emergency October 9.
   Prominent opposition leaders have been arrested since the start of
   protests, including Merera Gudina, the chairman of the Oromo Federalist
   Congress (OFC), an opposition party within the country.

   Gudina was arrested while returning from abroad for a meeting with
   members of the European Parliament in Brussels, where he spoke about
   human rights violations and the political situation of the country.
   His lawyer told VOA he is kept in prison by himself and charges against
   him haven't been clearly stated. He said it was difficult to openly
   speak with his client since police monitored their visit.

   Twenty-two OFC leaders were arrested in 2015 and are facing terrorism
   charges under the country's controversial law used to imprison
   journalists, dissidents and political opponents.
   Boiling pot

   On a recent trip to Ethiopia, Tom Malinowski, U.S. Assistant Secretary
   for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Affairs, urged leaders to open up
   avenues of democratic expression, closed in recent years, in the
   interest of economic development. Malinowski said he made a similar
   argument to government officials during a trip last year.
   "I argued to them then that the country was undergoing a process that
   could be likened to a boiling pot," he told VOA. "When you have a
   boiling pot, the thing to do is to take the lid off because, either
   way, it's going to be boiling and if you keep the lid on, it's going to
   explode."
   Malinowski said he fears the ongoing state of emergency and the mass
   arrests threaten to exacerbate tensions instead of ending them, while
   giving too much power to security forces.
   "Our sense is that the longer this unnatural state continues, the
   harder it will be for the government to achieve some of the goals that
   it has acknowledged must be met for the crisis to be resolved," he
   said.