European MPs condemn Human Rights violations in Ethiopia

From left: Jörg Leichtfried (Socialists & Democrats, Austria), Jacek Protasiewicz(European People’s Party (EPP), Poland), Barbara Lochbihler (Greens, Germany) and Jean-Jacob Bicep (Greens, France).

Denied visit to Kaliti Prison

A delegation from the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights paid a three-day visit to the African Union (AU) and Ethiopia, from July 15-17.

After assessing the HR situation in Ethiopia, the committee condemned violations of political and civil rights and called on the government for the immediate release of journalists and political prisoners. The committee was denied visiting the Kaliti Prison.

Members of the delegation, during a press conference held at Addis Ababa Hilton on Wednesday, said that this special visit has allowed them to conduct meetings with several government and opposition representatives and members of civil society organizations.

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) told reporters that they witnessed some positive developments in the field of human rights, such as the adoption of theNational Human Rights Action Plan and the establishment of the Human Rights Commission and of the Ombudsperson. They also appreciated the efforts made in the field of economic and social rights, most importantly in relation to poverty alleviation.

However, they expressed “substantial concern regarding the respect of civil and political rights”. The delegation called for the opening of more space for civil society and free media. They stressed that civil society organizations should be allowed to function freely, without interference and any form of harassment. “The Ethiopian authorities should acknowledge the important role of civil society actors and of trade unions in reaching their ambitious development objectives. The restrictive NGO framework should be urgently revised,” Barbara Lochibihler, chair of the EP delegation, emphasized.

Lochbihler further noted that a “free, independent and pluralistic media is one of the cornerstones of any democracy”. She was worried about the fact that certain media are jammed and access to the internet and social media highly restricted. She said blocking the free flow of information was directly at odds with the Ethiopian Constitution, which she said guaranteed freedom of expression.

The human rights group called on the government to “release all journalists, members of the opposition, and others arbitrarily detained or imprisoned for exercising their legitimate right to freedom of expression, freedom of association, as well as freedom of religion and belief”.

In a statement, the EP Committee recognized the highly volatile security situation of Ethiopia’s neighboring countries. However, MEPs raised questions on the reported misuse of controversial anti-terrorism laws for silencing dissent.

Contrary to Article 78 of the FDRE Constitution, MEPs noted flaws in the impartiality of the judicial system. The Government of Ethiopia must guarantee freedom of opinion, speech and the right of peaceful assembly at all times, in accordance with its Constitution and obligation under international law, the statement read.

With regard to conducting fair and free elections, it said the 2015 elections should be an occasion for the Ethiopian government to demonstrate its commitment to democratic principles. In this regard, the MEPs requested that the government address a range of shortcomings and called on it to ensure “an open and fair competition between all political parties”.

MEPs asked for the possibility to visit the Kaliti Prison, which they believe would have allowed for a first-hand experience of detention conditions. Despite the approval of the visit by the Ministry of Federal Affairs, admission, including a meeting with prisoners, was however denied. The delegation expressed its disappointment for the inability to assess further potential cooperation in improving conditions in prisons. They called for additional efforts to improve the treatment of detainees and the detention facilities. MEPs deplored the unexpected refusal of the prison visit without prior notification, after arrival at Kaliti.

MEPs reiterated their support for a strong African Union, stressing the need to push forward the integration process of the continent. “This support should be underpinned by concrete assistance from the side of the European Union, notably by contributing to building the capacity of the AU human rights mechanism,” the statement reads.

The Members congratulated the AU for its achievements in the field of peace and security, discussing current challenges in this field such as the crises in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Mali, and the forthcoming elections in Zimbabwe. On human rights, MEPs, together with their AU interlocutors, agreed that AU political decisions and legal instruments have to be better implemented. “National governments must be more accountable for what they have signed at AU level and should translate these acts into domestic law in order to have a real impact on citizens’ rights,” declared the chair of the EP delegation.

A priority issue for the EP delegation was the fight against impunity. In this respect, Lochbihler declared: “Africa has played a pivotal role in the establishment of theInternational Criminal Court (ICC). We owe it to the African victims of atrocious war crimes that those responsible are brought to justice.” Lochbihler regretted the fact that Nigeria, and ultimately the African Union, allowed once again the Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir to travel freely despite the existing ICC arrest warrant. It is to be recalled that recently the AU and the ICC were at odds, with the former denouncing the ICC’s arrest warrant of the Kenyan President and other authorities because of allegations of involvement in the 2007 general election ethnic clashes.

The European parliamentary delegation was led by Barbara Lochbihler (Greens, Germany). The other participating MEPs were Jacek Protasiewicz (European People’s Party (EPP), Poland), Jörg Leichtfried (Socialists & Democrats, Austria) and Jean-Jacob Bicep (Greens, France).
reporter english july 20 2013