November 20/2000

ANOTHER EXTRA JUDICIAL KILLING REPORTED YITAGESU ZEWDE,

a young man in the town of NEGELLE, Arsi Neghelle district, was shot dead by the government police as he was walking to his grandfather's house from the Tsedeye Dance Bar. The arbitrary killing took place on October 12 at around 6pm. Witness said the young man was shot arbitrarily. Arbitrary killings by the government police and security forces have become widespread in many rural towns.

Many of the killers have not even been apprehended let alone to be charged or tried. In many towns, including Neghelle, police ambush citizens in an attempt to rob them and resisters are shot dead and a suitable justification then presented. The executed are accused post facto to be thieves, rebels, or shot while resisting arrest as was claimed when security forces deliberately killed human rights activist Assefa Maru in Addis Abeba. SOCEPP denounces the arbitrary killing of Yitagesu Zewde and calls for the apprehension and trial of his killers. The EPRDF government must stop such killings and respect the rule of law.

SOCEPP