January 10, 2000
ILLEGAL DETENTION AND BEATING TO DEATH OF PRISONER
In several kebelles (districts) of the special woreda of DERASHE (Southern Ethiopia), the misuse of relief food, oil, wheat, money and materiel by authorities has led to repression against the civilian population. Civilians who denounced the corrupt practice have themselves been rounded up and imprisoned. Despite the fact that the deputy chairman of the woreda and his accomplices were caught red handed stealing the relief wheat from the government depot in the middle of the night, they were just detained for a while and released. Instead, the authorities have jailed those who denounced the culprits: thus, SILTANE SHIFERAW, a youngster, and four other people are still in prison. In this same area, SOCEPP has received the report that a prisoner jailed two years ago accused of having killed a policeman has died of torture in the last month. · The commander of the 102nd. Paratroopers force who had been imprisoned in one of the secret prisons in Tigrai and whose imprisonment had been denied by the government for the last 8 years has now been released and seen at Debre Zeit where he is being made to train a new paratroopers force. This has revived the assumption that many other prisoners who were said to have been detained since 1991 in the secret prisons of Tigrai may still be there despite the government's denial of their presence there. · Reports indicate that in relation to repression linked to the coming election a number of people (Hailu Belete, Andinet Belihu, Idris Adem, Getnet Eshetu, Andarge Tesfaw,etc... ) have been detained in Bahr-Dar because of their support to an opposition organization legally contesting the election. · The government has refused to account for Berhanu Ijigu and Kumsa Berayu, two journalists who were detained more than 5 years ago and who have disappeared since.
SOCEPP
