Former President of Ethiopia and opposition leader Negasso Gidada said he was briefly arrested last week along with current MP Girma Seifu and 60 other people ahead of Sunday's protest. (Photo: Facebook)
A leading Ethiopian opposition group gathered Sunday to protest against the country’s anti-terrorism legislation, the head of the group said.
We want the government to abrogate the law and to release all political and prisoners of conscience immediately, Negasso Gidada, the leader of the opposition Unity for Democratic Justice (UDJ), told AFP.
Several opposition members and journalists, including dissident blogger Eskinder Nega, have been jailed under the 2009 legislation.
The government accused the group of glorifying convicted criminals and said the threat of terrorism in Ethiopia needed to be taken seriously.
These people are downplaying the danger that this country has been facing… its not a potential threat, it’s already there, said government spokesman Redwan Hussein.
Negasso said he was briefly arrested ahead of the protests along with the single member of parliament from an opposition party, Girma Seifu, and 60 other people.
Redwan said he did not know of anybody who had been detained.
Read more at FOX News.
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