Milo Urgessa, brother of late Batte Urgessa, remains detained despite court release order, says family member

Addis Abeba – The brother of the late Batte Urgessa, Milo, remains incarcerated despite a court order for his release, a family member disclosed to Addis Standard.

According to the source, who spoke to Addis Standard on the condition of anonymity, Milo Urgessa, a father of two, was arrested on 11 April, 2024, following the funeral service for his brother Batte, who had served as a political officer for the opposition party, the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF).

Addis Standard reported that Batte was shot dead on Tuesday night, 09 April, 2024, and his body was found dumped by the roadside early on Wednesday in his hometown of Meki, in the in the East Shewa zone of the Oromia region.

A family member told Addis Standard that Batte was taken out of his hotel room around midnight by a group of individuals who “looked like government security forces,” and his body was found dumped by the roadside the next morning.

However, in a statement released a day after the killing, the Oromia regional government asserted that Batte was killed by “unidentified assailants” in Meki town, adding that “whoever committed it, the act is totally unacceptable.”

The funeral of Batte, a father of four children, was held on April 11, 2024, at the Meserte Kristos Church in his hometown of Meki.

The source continued describing the events following the funeral, stating, “Law enforcement and multiple security forces arrived at our home in Meki City, Oromia region, and took Batte’s brother, Milo Urgessa, and his sister, Simbo Urgessa, to the Meki City Police station in the East Shewa zone of Oromia for investigation related to Batte’s assassination.”

He added that Simbo was eventually released, but Milo was not.

“The police stated that they needed him for further investigation because he had spoken to the media about the assassination. They informed him, ‘You know what you told the media. We need you for further investigations, so you will stay with us here at the Meki City Police Station,'” stated the family member.

The family member also mentioned that after Simbo’s release from the Meki Police station a few weeks after her arrest, she inquired about Milo’s release.

“The Meki City police responded that they still needed Milo for further investigation. Despite Milo appearing before the Meki City court for consecutive weeks under suspicion of involvement in Batte’s assassination, the police and investigation team failed to provide evidence,” he explained, adding, “As a result, the Meki City court ordered Milo’s release. However, the police rejected the court’s order, claiming they needed more time to collect and investigate evidence regarding Batte’s assassination.”

According to the family member, nine suspects were imprisoned on suspicion of killing Batte, including the owner of the hotel where Batte stayed before his death, the hotel’s guard, the receptionist, and the waiter.

“The guard of the block factory where Batte Urgessa was shot and dumped was released after two months of imprisonment at the Adama Police Station,” the informant remarked.

According to the source, three months have passed since Milo was imprisoned. “Ebba Wane, Milo’s friend, was also imprisoned by the police, who stated they needed him for an investigation. Recently, when we requested Milo’s release, the Meki City Police informed us that they were not the decision-makers for Milo’s release.”

In May 2024, Addis Standard reported on a letter from the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) addressed to the Oromia regional state government, including President Shimelis Abdissa.

The letter revealed that the Commission was “forced to quit” its investigations in Meki City three days after its team of investigators began gathering witness testimonies. These testimonies indicated a trail of activities implicating government security forces in the assassination of Batte. AS