Ethiopia: ActionAid defends Ethiopia activists after bail is refused
The international development agency ActionAid has expressed its deep disappointment after an Ethiopian court on January 08 refused bail to two anti-poverty activists who were arrested in early November. ActionAid Ethiopia’s policy head Daniel Bekele, and close partner Netsanet Demessie of the Organisation for Social Justice in Ethiopia (OSJE), were held for more than a month before they were charged with conspiring to overthrow the Ethiopian constitution. 125 other people, and four organisations, face this charge and up to six additional charges.
Press Release
Sunday, January 08, 2006
ActionAid defends Ethiopia activists after bail is refused
The international development agency ActionAid has expressed its deep disappointment after an Ethiopian court today refused bail to two anti-poverty activists who were arrested in early November.
ActionAid Ethiopia’s policy head Daniel Bekele, and close partner Netsanet Demessie of the Organisation for Social Justice in Ethiopia (OSJE), were held for more than a month before they were charged with conspiring to overthrow the Ethiopian constitution. 125 other people, and four organisations, face this charge and up to six additional charges.
ActionAid has consistently maintained that the two men have done nothing illegal, and that their work as social activists and anti-poverty campaigners is protected by the constitution.
Fikre Zewdie, director of ActionAid Ethiopia, said: "We are extremely disappointed that Daniel and Netsanet have been refused bail. Their continued detention is a travesty of justice. There exists no basis at law or on the facts for the denial of their right to bail. The public prosecutor opposed bail and disappointingly, this was not challenged by the judge today.
“If necessary, Daniel and Netsanet will fight their case vigorously in court. But we have said from the start that there is no sustainable case against them and the charges should be dropped."
One of ActionAid’s complaints is that the two men have been allowed very little time with lawyers and other visitors. It has demanded that Daniel and Netsanet must have full access to lawyers to prepare their defence.
To avoid prejudice, ActionAid says that it is imperative that the men are tried separately from the others accused.
Daniel and Netsanet appear to have attracted the attention of the authorities by campaigning for civil society monitoring of the national elections in May, demanding amendments to a new Ethiopian law on non-governmental organisations, and helping to organise Ethiopia’s part of the Global Call to Action against Poverty, a worldwide movement supported by the UN Millennium Campaign, of which the UK Make Poverty History campaign is a part. Neither has advocated or taken part in violent protest.