Administrative procedure proclamation ethiopia covid19 workplace response protocol ministry of labor ethiopia. A change in the countrys leadership in 2018 provided ethiopians with hope of a change to the status quo. Proclamation on antiterrorism, published in the federal negarit gazeta of the federal republic of ethiopia on 28 august 2009 proclamation against international standards on freedom of expression. This paper analyses ethiopia s draft antiterrorism proclamation the draft proclamation and assesses to what extent the proposed law on its face conforms to international human rights standards. A tool to stifle dissent, details how the ethiopian government imprisons, oppresses. Cite as, national legislative bodies national authorities, ethiopia. The office of the federal attorney general established a legal advisory council, composed of prominent legal experts, on 29 june 2018. The antiterrorism proclamation of ethiopia has a farreaching effect on human rights, such as freedom of expression. Time to repeal antiterrorism law in ethiopia inter.
This diktat approved on a 28691 vote of the rubberstamp parliament is so arbitrary and. The ethiopian government has used the anti terrorism proclamation to jail journalists and opposition party members for peacefully exercising their freedoms of expression and association. Article 19 has extensive experience of working on freedom of expression and information issues in ethiopia. Ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation was introduced in 2009. New antiterrorism proclamation jeopardizes freedom. Jun 21, 2014 hrw ethiopianantiterrorlaw pdf summary.
Instead, yonatan tesfaye, a former spokesman of the semayawi blue party, was detained in december 2015 on charges under article 4 of ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation. Ethiopia s highly controversial anti terrorism law, proclamation no. Whereas, money laundering and the financing of terrorism as it not only threaten security, but also compromise the stability, transparency, soundness and efficiency of the financial system. Dawit kebede is editor of the awramba times, one of. This practice raises serious concerns about the extent to which ethiopians can rely upon their constitutionally guaranteed rights to afford the protection that.
In august 2009, ethiopia enacted legislation to counter terrorism antiterrorism proclamation no. Jan 20, 2011 download antiterrorism proclamation no. The government used the anti terrorism proclamation atp and other measures to restrict organized opposition and anti government protests, including through the detention and prosecution of muslims engaged in protests against what the protestors said was continued government interference in religious affairs. Corruption exists in various forms, including but not limited to clientelism, kleptocracy, rent seeking and state capture. From march 2011 to december 2011 at least 108 opposition party members and six journalists were arrested in ethiopia for alleged involvement with various proscribed terrorist groups. Prevention and suppression of terrorism crimes proclamation.
Ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation and the right to. Council of ministers of ethiopia passes antiterrorism law. The law permits warrantless arrests for various offenses including flagrant offenses. Ethiopias highly controversial antiterrorism law, proclamation no. This diktat approved on a 28691 vote of the rubberstamp parliament is so arbitrary and capricious that human rights watch. This proclamation may be cited as the antiterrorism proclamation no. In ethiopia, the threat of imprisonment for political journalists is constant. Ethiopian government and opposition start talks on. The broad provisions of the antiterrorism proclamation allow the authorities to criminalize the exercise of freedom of expression. This paper analyses ethiopia s draft anti terrorism proclamation the draft proclamation and assesses to what extent the proposed law on its face conforms to international human rights.
The new partnership may well prove of great value to both countries as, many would contend, was the earlier one. By blain biset, ips addis ababa, dec 6 2012 ips ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation is once again stirring debate in this horn of africa nation as lawyer temam ababulga challenges the 2009 law in the highlypublicised muslim terrorism case. Several countries have adopted counter terrorism legal frameworks in the past two decades. A proclamation on prevention and suppression of money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Ethiopias ruling coalition started talks with opposition groups on wednesday on amending provisions of an antiterrorism law that critics say has criminalized dissent, stateaffiliated media said. New anti terrorism proclamation jeopardizes freedom of expression. The government of ethiopia routinely uses its vague and overly broad antiterrorism law to stifle freedom of expression and political opposition. It confirms that the law is designed and used by the ethiopian government as a tool of. While legitimate antiterrorism laws have been enacted in a number of countries, these critics of ethiopias antiterrorism law have. By framing the ethiopian antiterrorism proclamation of 2009 as an. Ethiopia to amend antiterror laws in political thaw. Ethiopia charges 76 individuals with terrorism addis. Proclamation submitted by ethiopias legal advisory council to the federal attorney general.
This timely report, authored by lawyers from leading international law firms, provides an indepth and damning analysis of ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation. Freedom of expression and the ethiopian antiterrorism. An examination of ethiopias anti terrorism proclamation. The new law was drafted by the federal attorney general office of ethiopia to protect the peace and security of the people and the government from the threats of terrorism. Instead, yonatan tesfaye, a former spokesman of the semayawi blue party, was detained in december 2015 on charges under article 4 of. Terrorism by antiterrorism law lately, meles zenawi, the dictator in ethiopia, has been rounding up dissidents, journalists, opposition party political leaders and members under a diktat known as antiterrorism proclamation no. Addis abeba, march 62017 as fresh terrorism charges against several individuals surge following the yearlong public protests that led to the current state of emergency, prosecutors in ethiopia have today charged a group of 76 individuals with various articles of ethiopias infamous antiterrorism proclamation atp according to the charges in the file name of miftah. Hate speech and disinformation prevention and suppression proclamation.
How much do you know about misuse of ethiopias anti. By framing the ethiopian antiterrorism proclamation of 2009 as an extension of the ruling partys neopatrimonial design, this article examines the laws draconian effects on freedom of speech in ethiopias digital sphere. Overview of corruption and anticorruption in ethiopia. The government used the antiterrorism proclamation atp and other measures to restrict organized opposition and antigovernment protests, including through the detention and prosecution of muslims engaged in protests against what the protestors said was. Reacting to the news that the ethiopian parliament has today.
On wednesday 17 july 20, members of the european parliaments subcommittee on human rights visited ethiopia and urged the government to release journalists and opposition activists imprisoned under the countrys antiterrorism proclamation no. Under the antiterrorism proclamation atp, police may request to detain persons without charge for 28day periods, up to a maximum of four months, during an investigation. An examination of ethiopias anti terrorism proclamation on. Ethiopian government, opposition start talks on anti. The draft law is due for consideration in the council of ministers.
A tool to stifle dissent, by the oakland institute and the environmental defender law center, authored by lawyers including representatives from leading international law firms, unravels the 2009 proclamation. We recently condemned the application of the antiterrorism proclamation. The report examines how the law, enacted in 2009, is a tool of repression, designed and used by the ethiopian government to silence its critics. Ethiopian government and opposition start talks on amending. Ethiopian legal information portal find laws, cases. Whereas, terrorism is a danger to the peace, security and development of the country and a serious threat to the peace and security of the world at large. Ethiopia may well need a fair and effective law to combat terrorism, but this is not it, said joanne mariner, terrorism and counterterrorism program director at human rights watch. Under the antiterrorism proclamation atp, police may request to detain persons without charge for 28day periods. Instead, yonatan tesfaye, a former spokesman of the semayawi blue party, was detained in december 2015 on charges under article 4 of ethiopia s anti terrorism proclamation. They say, you must have been involved in something that got you suspected of terrorism.
A new report by the policy and human rights think tank, oakland institute, titled ethiopias antiterrorism law. The proclamation was adopted on 7 july 2009 and came into force upon its publication in the federal negarit gazeta of the federal democratic republic of ethiopia official gazette 15th year no. Since its enactment on july 2009, ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation wasis at the very center of almost every political discourse in the nation. We recently condemned the application of the anti terrorism proclamation.
Pdf the impact of ethiopias antiterrorism law on freedom of. Aug 30, 20 ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation and the right to freedom of expression. Analysis of ethiopias draft antiterrorism proclamation. A tool to stifle dissent, authored by lawyers from leading international law firms, provides an indepth and damning analysis of ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation. See committee to protect journalists, in ethiopia antiterrorism law chills. Ethiopias counterterrorism partnership with the united states is reminiscent of the role the country played as an outpost of the western alliance during the first cold war decades. The 20 edition of the human rights and democracy report of the government of the united kingdom uk severely criticized the government of ethiopia for its application of its anti terrorism proclamation and the charities and societies proclamation, which hampers the activity of the opposition camp of the country. Moreover, it was developed to fill the gaps in the previous antiterrorism proclamation no. This paper analyses ethiopias draft antiterrorism proclamation the draft proclamation and assesses to what extent the proposed law on its face conforms to international human rights standards. Council of ministers approves antiterrorism law embassy. As a living victim of misuse of the antiterrorism proclamation atp in ethiopia, i face a heartbreaking judgement oftentimes from ordinary citizens who knew that i was once charged of the atp.
Analysis of ethiopias draft antiterrorism proclamation march 9, 2009 summary this paper analyses ethiopias draft antiterrorism proclamation the draft proclamation and assesses to what extent the proposed law on its face conforms to international human rights standards. Ethiopia uses antiterror laws to silence critical journalists. Laws in ethiopia designed to prosecute terrorism are increasingly being used to silence political dissidents, opposition party members, journalists and others in civil society. Pdf this article analyses the impact of ethiopias antiterrorism law on the enjoyment of the right to freedom of expression and.
Ethiopian antiterrorism law archives ethiopian legal brief. The enactment results from an acknowledgment that terrorism is a threat to human rights, peace and security of not only the people in ethiopia, but to the rest of the world preamble of ethiopia antiterrorism proclamation, 2009. Ethiopia and the global antiterrorism campaign center. Council of ministers of ethiopia passes antiterrorism law monday may 20, 2019 the council of ministers of ethiopia approved the bill against terrorism, after extensive deliberation to insert some amendments, said today a statement from the office of the prime minister. The provisions of this law that impact freedom of expression are discussed in this article. In drafting our antiterrorism law, we copied wordforword the very best antiterrorism laws in the world. The european union delegation in ethiopia welcomed the dropping of legal charges and andargachews release. Comment on ethiopian antiterrorism proclamation article 19, london, 2010. The antiterrorism law makes the criminal code applicable only to the extent that the code is consistent with the antiterrorism law provisions antiterrorism proclamation, 36, supra. Amnesty international believes that at least 108 journalists and opposition members were arrested in 2011 primarily because of their legitimate and peaceful criticism of. Ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation and the right to freedom of expression. In justifying his antiterrorism law in february 2012, zenawi offered the following mindboggling explanation to his rubberstamp parliament.
Building on the substantial number of earlier legal analyses prepared by a wide range of critics of the law, the report examines how the law, enacted in 2009, is a tool of. Eleven statements from his facebook page were used as evidence. File pedestrians walk past the federal high court building in addis ababa, ethiopia, nov. In august 2009, ethiopia enacted legislation to counter terrorism anti terrorism proclamation no. Mar 06, 2017 mahlet fasil addis abeba, march 62017 as fresh terrorism charges against several individuals surge following the yearlong public protests that led to the current state of emergency, prosecutors in ethiopia have today charged a group of 76 individuals with various articles of ethiopias infamous antiterrorism proclamation atp. The proclamation also extends aspects of the anti terrorism proclamation and the criminal code to electronic communications. This is the conclusion reached by the united nations, the worlds leading democracies, international. Ethiopias ruling coalition started talks with opposition groups on wednesday on amending provisions of an antiterrorism law that critics say. Visit the ethiopia page of the website of the financial action task force download law documents as pdf. It confirms that the law is designed and used by the ethiopian government as a tool of repression to silence its critics.
Analysis of ethiopias draft antiterrorism law human. A tool to stifle dissent, authored by lawyers from leading international law firms, provides an indepth and damning analysis of ethiopia s anti terrorism proclamation. Time to repeal antiterrorism law in ethiopia inter press. It criminalizes indirect encouragement to the preparation, instigation and. The law gives leeway to criminalize innocent acts of individuals who are critical of government policies. The proclamation also extends aspects of the antiterrorism proclamation and the criminal code to electronic communications. Obama has expressed keen interest in learning from ethiopias counterterrorism and counterinsurgency strategies. We took from america, england and the european model antiterrorism laws.
Whereas, terrorism is a danger to the peace, security and development of the country and a serious threat to the peace and security of the world at. While anticorruption laws remain strong in principle, they. Anti terrorism proclamation eatp to prosecute several ethiopian citizens and organizations that are critical of the ruling party. Definitions in this proclamation, unless the context otherwise requires. Apr 06, 2020 a proclamation on antiterrorism proclamation no. Whereas, the right of the people to live in peace, freedom and security has to be protected, at all times, from the threat of terrorism. The criminal code of the federal democratic republic of ethiopia 2004, art. Sustained corruption and human rights violations have caused widespread unrest in ethiopia since 2015. The ruling ethiopian peoples revolutionary democratic front eprdf, a coalition of four ethnically based parties, controls the government.
May 30, 2018 ethiopia s ruling coalition started talks with opposition groups on wednesday on amending provisions of an anti terrorism law that critics say has criminalised dissent, stateaffiliated media said. Time to repeal antiterrorism law in ethiopia zehabesha. Analysis of ethiopias draft antiterrorism law ethiopian. Ecadf ethiopian news ethiopian news, video and opinions.
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