GENEVA – A group of United Nations human rights experts* today urged the Government ofEthiopia to
stop misusing anti-terrorism legislation to curb freedoms of expression
and association in the country, amid reports that people continue to be
detained arbitrarily.
The experts’ call comes on the eve of the consideration by Ethiopia of a
series of recommendations made earlier this year by members of the
Human Rights Council in a process known as theUniversal Periodic Review and
which applies equally to all 193 UN Members States. These
recommendations are aimed at improving the protection and promotion of
human rights in the country, including in the context of
counter-terrorism measures.
“Two years after we first raised the alarm, we
are still receiving numerous reports on how the anti-terrorism law is
being used to target journalists, bloggers, human rights defenders and
opposition politicians in Ethiopia,” the experts said. “Torture and
inhuman treatment in detention are gross violations of fundamental human
rights.”
“Confronting terrorism is important, but it has to be done in adherence
to international human rights to be effective,” the independent experts
stressed. “Anti-terrorism provisions need to be clearly defined in
Ethiopian criminal law, and they must not be abused.”
The experts have repeatedly highlighted issues such as unfair trials,
with defendants often having no access to a lawyer. “The right to a fair
trial, the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and the right to
freedom of association continue to be violated by the application of
the anti-terrorism law,” they warned.
“We call upon the Government of Ethiopia to free all persons detained
arbitrarily under the pretext of countering terrorism,” the experts
said. “Let journalists, human rights defenders, political opponents and
religious leaders carry out their legitimate work without fear of
intimidation and incarceration.”
The human rights experts reiterated their call on the Ethiopian
authorities to respect individuals’ fundamental rights and to apply
anti-terrorism legislation cautiously and in accordance with Ethiopia’s
international human rights obligations.
“We also urge the Government of Ethiopia to respond positively to the
outstanding request to visit by the Special Rapporteurs on freedom of
peaceful assembly and association, on torture and other cruel, inhuman
or degrading treatment or punishment and on the situation of human
rights defenders,” they concluded.
(*) The experts: Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of
human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Ben
Emmerson; Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful
assembly and of association, Maina Kiai; Special Rapporteur on the
promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and
expression, David Kaye; Special Rapporteur on the situation of human
rights defenders, Michel Forst; Special Rapporteur on the Independence
of Judges and Lawyers, Gabriela Knaul; Special Rapporteur on torture and
other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Juan Méndez.
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