US concern over Birtukan Midekssa’s arrest

AFP

ADDIS ABABA (AFP) — The US embassy in Addis Ababa on Wednesday voiced concern over the fate of an opposition leader who was jailed after her pardon from a life sentence was revoked.

Birtukan Midekssa, head of the Unity for Democracy Justice party, irked the regime when she reportedly claimed during a recent visit to Europe that she had never voiced remorse or acknowledged any mistake to obtain her pardon in 2007.

“The United States is concerned about the government of Ethiopia’s arrest of Unity for Democracy and Justice Party leader Birtukan Midekssa,” the embassy’s information officer Darragh Paradiso told AFP.

“We are particularly concerned by reports that Birtukan’s pardon has been revoked and she has begun a life sentence in prison.”

The 35-year-old woman, who was detained with dozens of opposition figures and supporters in the aftermath of disputed 2005 elections, was last week given a three-day ultimatum by the authorities to confirm or deny the reports. Read More.

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Bloomberg.com
Ethiopian Police Re-Arrest Opposition Leader Mideksa

By Jason McLure

(Corrects attribution in sixth paragraph.)

Dec. 29 — Ethiopian federal police re-arrested opposition leader Birtukan Mideksa a year after she was released on a pardon following her arrest during the country’s disputed 2005 elections.

Mideksa, a leader of the now-dissolved Coalition for Unity and Democracy, was taken into custody today, said Temesgen Zewde, a lawmaker, who is a member of Mideksa’s new party, Unity for Democracy and Justice.

“She has been arrested,” Zewde said in an interview in the capital, Addis Ababa. “No charges have been made public yet. We don’t know exactly where she is being held.”

Mideksa was arrested after refusing to acknowledge that she had requested a pardon that led to her release from jail in July 2007, said Bereket Simon, a spokesman for Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. She and dozens of other opposition leaders were initially jailed following the 2005 elections and sentenced to life in prison following a May 2007 trial on treason charges. Read More.



2 Responses to “US concern over Birtukan Midekssa’s arrest”


  1. 1 Chanyalew Dec 31st, 2008 at 1:56 pm

    Her arrest is outrageous and also demonstrates the desperation of the TPLF Govt. Mind you this is an unarmed, civil person who is trying to exercise her human and constitutional right in a peaceful way – what harm can she except raising popular support for democracy and those behind it?

    chan

  2. 2 Oncho Jan 4th, 2009 at 8:32 pm

    The Ethiopian government has a leverage to kill , arrest, fight and to violate; they don’t have the mental capacity to entertain democracy and respect human rights. Their ideology was created for one group of people. For Ethiopians know the USA to be the most civilized democracy, and the US should condemn and put pressure on the dictators to release the opposition leader.

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