June 10, 2005

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Ethiopia.

Brief description of the situation:

The Observatory has been informed by the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) of the disappearance of one of its investigators, Mr. Chernet Taddesse.

According to the information received, Mr. Chernet Taddesse was mandated by EHRCO to report on the human rights violations perpetrated by the police against demonstrators in Addis Ababa. On June 8, 2005, numerous students and activists of opposition political parties protested in the streets following the provisional results of the May 15 legislative elections, which turned out in favour of the incumbents. These activists denounced the massive embezzlement and fraud that compromised the entire electoral process. Such protests took place despite their prohibition for one month immediately following the elections by the outgoing Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi. While Ethiopian authorities publicly authorised the police to take "appropriate measures against those with the intention to disrupt the peace," police opened fire on the crowd in various districts of the capital in order to disperse the demonstrators. Based on the information available, estimates are of at least 26 dead people and one hundred injured (See FIDH press release, dated June 9, 2005).

During the night following these events, Mr. Chernet Taddesse was arrested by the police at his home. His whereabouts have not been yet revealed.

That same night, the house of Mr. Yared Hailemariam, another member of EHRCO, was searched by the Police. Moreover, a few days before, on June 2, 2005, the editors-in-chief of four private newspapers were summoned by the Police. There is evidence of serious threats and intimidations against these persons for having covered previous human rights violations perpetrated by the police in their daily newspapers. On June 7, the licenses of 5 independent reporters, notably from Voice of America and Deutsche Welle, were revoked.

The Observatory is very preoccupied by the disappearance of Mr. Chernet Taddesse, and fears for his physical and psychological integrity. The Observatory recalls article 12.2 of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998, which states that "the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually or in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration."

Actions requested:

We have additional information on this case. So please refer to the No. 3736 and take action according to that.

Geneva-Paris, June 10, 2005