News: Ethiopian rights commission says “concerning” human rights abuses in Amhara region in connection with ongoing military actions
Addis Abeba – Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has said “concerning” human rights abuses are being committed in the Amhara regional state in connection with ongoing military action by the federal government.
Arbitrary arrests, inappropriate treatments of people in custody, disproportionate use of force during protests are among the major abuses the EHRC said are being committed in the Amara region under the guise of ongoing “law enforcement”.
In a press release after it presented its nine months performances of this Ethiopian fiscal year to the Democratic Affairs Standing committee of the House of People’s Representatives, the commission also noted that “targeted attacks on the opposition leaders and media personalities, home invasions that did not follow legal procedures” and other human rights issues have “become of a great concern” in the region.
On 04 May, the commission said following militarized conflict in parts of North Gonder, North Wollo and North Shewa zones of the Amhara regional state, “it has been confirmed that there have been deaths, physical and property damage to civilians, and that the road from Desse to Addis Abeba has been closed at various times”.
The ongoing militarized conflict in the region came in the wake of the announcement by the Ethiopian Joint Security and Intelligence Task Force last week that it had started “taking decisive measures” against “extremist forces” that it accused of “trying to take control of regional state power by destroying the constitutional system in the Amhara regional state.”
Daniel Bekele (PhD), Chief Commissioner of EHRC noted that arbitrary restrictions on the right to move from place to place, undocumented and forced evictions, illegal demolishing of houses, and other abuses ensued from drought and inflation continue to be of social and economic rights violation concerns elsewhere in the country.
According to the press release, with the monitoring work carried out in 48 prisons and 323 police stations, the commission noticed improvements with regard to releasing people arrested on suspicion of crimes without a court order and insufficient evidence, respecting their bail rights, and making accountable certain security personnel who committed inhumane treatment.
The commission has called on the council to pay special attention to ensuring the implementation of the commission’s recommendations by government executive bodies at all levels. AS
