News: Police detain Eskinder Nega under #COVID19 emergency decree
Mahlet Fasil @MahletFasil
Addis Abeba, April 25/2020 – The police in Addis Abeba have, earlier today, detained Eskinder Nega, founder and leader of the opposition party, Balderas for True Democracy, the party’s legal department head Henok Aklilu told Addis Standard.
Henok said that Eskinder was detained in Kolfe Keranio Kifle Ketema Police station. The police accused him of violating Ethiopia’s COVID-19 State of Emergency (SoE) under the provision which prohibits a gathering of more than four people.
According to Henok, Eskinder was talking to a group of people in Kolfe Keranio area who he said have their houses illegally demolished by security forces.
Federal Police Commission communication bureau head Jeylan Abdi said he was not authorized to speak on behalf of the emergency decree implementing task force and referred calls to be made to the task force; but our repeated phone call attempts to the task force were to no avail.
Henok said Eskinder was told he would spend the night at the police station he is currently held at. AS