News: Fed. Court Denies Bail Request To Jailed TPLF Senior Officials, Orders Arrest Of Defendants at large
By Mahlet Fasil @MahletFasil
Addis Abeba, August 19/2021 – Today the Federal High Court, Lideta Branch, First Constitutional and Anti-Terrorism Bench reject the bail application of 21 top TPLF leaders who are under federal police custody.
The defense team asked the court to have their clients released and follow their trials from outside. The prosecutor on its part argued that the multiple charges against the defendants such as attempts to dismantle the government by force since 2018 and attacking the Northern Command in November last year does not warrant bail. The prosecutor reminded the court that a lot of civilians were killed in the war that followed.
The court heard the arguments on both sides and rejected the bail application by the defendants bill and gave alternative appointment to November 01, 2020 to see defendants counterclaim. The court also ordered the federal police to arrest the 41 other defendants including the first defendant Debretsion Gebremichael (PhD), Chairman and Executive Committee (EC) member of the Tigray People’s Liberation front (TPLF). The prosecutors brought terrorism charges against 62 defendants in the case file of Debretsion Gebremichael (PhD) on July 23, 2021.
The file includes Executive Committee, and Cabinet members of the regional state government, which was ousted by the federal government and subsequently replaced by an Interim Administration in December 2020. AS
