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. Antiterrorism law among targets of addis ababa protest rsf. Reflections on the ethiopian anti terrorism law debate between the eprdf and the ethiopian opposition parties. After a detailed deliberation and with some amendments, the council. Comment on ethiopian anti terrorism proclamation article 19, london, 2010 law 201003 ethiopia 1 about the article 19 law programme the article 19 law programme advocates for the development of progressive standards on freedom of expression and access to information at the international level, and their.
A tool to stifle dissent, authored by lawyers from leading international law firms, provides an indepth and damning analysis of ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation. An act to provide measures to combat terrorism and for connected matters. The opposition political parties have tabled a proposal to amend the law, saying. The new partnership may well prove of great value to both countries as, many would contend, was the earlier one. The impact of ethiopia s antiterrorism law on freedom of expression conference paper pdf available in ssrn electronic journal may 2017 with 4,203 reads how we measure reads. Ethiopias ruling party to brief oppositions on anti. End use of counterterrorism law to persecute dissenters and opposition members. Mar 09, 20 09 mar 20 our feature takes us to ethiopia where the us war on terror has provided cover for laws that are being used to silence dissident journalists.
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. This is the second part of torture accounts of prisoners in ethiopias prisons. Journalism under ethiopias antiterrorism law listening. Jan 21, 2016 this timely report, authored by lawyers from leading international law firms, provides an indepth and damning analysis of ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation. Terrorism proclamation antiterror law have severely undermined civil society and. In 2001, president bush signed an executive order authorizing the creation of military tribunals for the detention, treatment and trial of certain noncitizens enemy combatants in the war. Ethiopia s ruling coalition started talks with opposition groups on wednesday on amending provisions of an anti terrorism law that critics say has criminalized dissent, stateaffiliated media said. In april 2016 irina yarovaya, together with aleksei pushkov, and nadezhda gerasimova and senator victor ozerov introduced a project of legislation that would toughen penalties for extremism and terrorism. Jun 21, 2014 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.
Comment on ethiopian antiterrorism proclamation article 19, london, 2010. State department country reports on human rights practices on ethiopia concluded. Meles did not take the very best from america, england and europe. Ibrahim, director at the center for the advancement of human rights and democracy in ethiopia cahde, while facilitating a dialogue and debate forum on the ethiopian anti terrorism proclamation, policy and their application for the protection of human rights. Ethiopia approves new antiterrorism law consisting of. In previous ethiopia s anti terrorism legislation, the house of peoples representatives was in charge of labeling if an offense is a. An examination of ethiopias anti terrorism proclamation on. Although the civil courts operated with a large degree of independence, the criminal courts remained weak, overburdened, and subject to significant political intervention and influence. Association of human rights in ethiopia ahre has gathered testimonies of torture and other inhuman and illegal treatments of prisoners in detention centres, prisons, military camps, and other.
End use of counter terrorism law to persecute dissenters and opposition members 2 june 2016, 16. Ethiopian federal high court convicted two swedish journalists on. Pdf the impact of ethiopias antiterrorism law on freedom. Ethiopias highly controversial antiterrorism law, proclamation no. An examination of ethiopias anti terrorism proclamation. Moreover, it was developed to fill the gaps in the previous anti terrorism proclamation no. Journalism under antiterrorism law how the us war on terror has provided cover for laws that are being used to silence dissident journalists.
Ethiopian antiterrorism law archives ethiopian legal brief. A practical lesson in the application of the rule of law principle could be learned by examining anti terrorism laws in the u. Ethiopia amends controversial antiterrorism law that. 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 identity of those suspected for terrorism and arrested based on the law also gave this institutions a reason to take ethiopia a regular destination for their condemnations. Ethiopia which is an autocratic regime, has had to deal with human rights groups that opposed anti terrorism laws. Ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation and the right to freedom of expression. Ethiopia s pm abiy ahmed showed remarkable courage in admitting the practise of state sanctioned torture. Jun 30, 2009 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 standards. Ecadf ethiopian news ethiopian news, video and opinions. Ethiopian political parties that are negotiating on the countrys anti terrorism law on thursday agreed to hear the ruling partys response to their proposal regarding the law.
The new law which 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 was developed to fill the gaps in the previous anti terrorism proclamation no. Therefore, though the laws are a direct copy of the western countries, as the pm always says, the issue differs for ethiopia. Ethiopia to amend antiterror laws in political thaw. Ethiopia s ruling party to brief oppositions on antiterro rism law source. It confirms that the law is designed and used by the ethiopian government as a tool of. Sep 03, 2012 a practical lesson in the application of the rule of law principle could be learned by examining antiterrorism laws in the u. Ethiopian government and opposition start talks on. Terrorism by anti terrorism 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 anti terrorism proclamation no. 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. Oct 01, 20 the antiterrorism law is one of the most serious obstacles to the promotion and protection of freedom of information in ethiopia, reporters without borders said. Terrorism in ethiopia the risk of terrorist attacks in ethiopia over the past years can be classified as below average. Aug 30, 20 ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation and the right to 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 standards. Some points on the ethiopian antiterrorism law from human rights perspective. New antiterrorism proclamation jeopardizes freedom. Torture, state terrorism and ethiopias transformation.
Terrorism law drafted june 4, 2009 it was reported on june 2, 2009, that the council of ministers of ethiopia had submitted to the house of peoples representatives for approval a draft law on terrorism that seeks to expand the powers of law enforcement authorities. Based on earlier drafts of the law previously made available to amnesty international, acts of terrorism are vaguely defined and could encompass the legitimate expression of political dissent. 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. Article 21 1 of tafr designates the fic through ministry of foreign affairs as a responsible authority for proposing designations of terrorists to the 12671989 and 1988. Time to repeal antiterrorism law in ethiopia inter press. 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. Tura, husen ahmed, the impact of ethiopia s antiterrorism law on freedom of expression july 25, 2017.
Ever since its adoption, the government has used it as a legal tool to clamp down on dissidents and create a cloud of fear that limits the ambition and activity of the media. The anti terrorism law states that the federal police can search, chase and apprehend criminals of terrorist acts in any corner of the country sometimes without the knowledge of the regional security forces. Senior police officers enhance knowledge on humanitarian principles ethiopia. Council of ministers approves antiterrorism law embassy. Along with other recent steps, this signals the willingness of the new government. The anti terrorism law seems to be at odds with the state of democracy in ethiopia. Council arise to reform anti terrorism, media law ethiopia. The court convicted these individuals last month under provisions of the 2009 anti terrorism law anti terrorism proclamation, proclamation no. The scope of this category includes pages whose subjects relate to terrorism, a contentious label valueladen labelssuch as calling an organization andor individual a terroristmay express contentious opinion and are best avoided unless widely used by reliable sources to describe the subject, in which case use intext. The situation of human rights defenders in ethiopia ishr. Mar 15, 2020 a proclamation on antiterrorism proclamation no. By blain biset, ips addis ababa, dec 6 2012 ips ethiopia s anti terrorism 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. 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.
Ethiopia loosens anti terrorism law used to subdue opposition by. Legality, political significance of parties removal from terrorists list. 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. 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. 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. Torture, state terrorism and ethiopia s transformation. This can, in turn, increase the risk of further hostagetaking. Refworld is the leading source of information necessary for taking quality decisions on refugee status. Refworld contains a vast collection of reports relating to situations in countries of origin, policy documents and positions, and documents relating to international and national legal frameworks. The information has been carefully selected and compiled from. Political reforms visavis rule of law eritreaethiopia peace deal offers hope for reform ethiopia. Pdf some points on the ethiopian antiterrorism law from. 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 anti terrorism proclamation, 2009. Obama has expressed keen interest in learning from ethiopia s counterterrorism and counterinsurgency strategies.
Ethiopian political parties position on the anti terrorism. Ethiopian political parties position on the anti terrorism law addis ababa government spokesmen defend the law while opposition party leaders scoff at the law as the ruling partys legal. 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. Watchdog groups say the 2009 laws broad definitions have been used indiscriminately against anyone who opposes government policy. A prominent ethiopian political opposition member sits in prison on charges of terrorism. This diktat approved on a 28691 vote of the rubberstamp parliament is so arbitrary and capricious that. Proceeding of 5th international conference of phd students and young researchers, 2017 p.
Ethiopia recognized the right to freedom of expression and information by ratifying the international covenant. Rule of law, political space and human rights in ethiopia. 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 anti terrorism proclamation no. This article analyses the impact of ethiopias antiterrorism law on the enjoyment of the right to freedom of expression and information. Ethiopian government and opposition start talks on amending. Of course, meles did not copy wordforword the very best antiterrorism laws in the world. Council arise to reform antiterrorism, media law ethiopia. The draft law is due for consideration in the council of ministers, and may be tabled in the ethiopian parliament in march 2009. Specifically, labeling the laws as merely towing to the us drive and its national interests. The draft law has been submitted to parliament by the council of ministers and may be passed into law before the end of the current legislative. The impact of ethiopias antiterrorism law on freedom of expression conference paper pdf available in ssrn electronic journal may 2017 with 4,203 reads how we measure reads.
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. Ethiopian government, opposition start talks on anti. United nations general assembly resolution 541 10 of 09 december, measures to eliminate. The law defines acts of terrorism as including damage to property and disruption to any public service, for which an individual could be. Over the past 5 years a total number of 46 terrorist incidents has been recorded, in which 361 people have been killed and 160 injured.
The european union delegation in ethiopia welcomed the dropping of legal charges and andargachews release. Ethiopia amends controversial anti terrorism law that banned protests. On the other hand, ethiopia has been able to ruthlessly crack down on suspected terrorist because of the closed nature of its. Ethiopia has changed repressive laws and reformed some. Ethiopia and the global antiterrorism campaign center for. Around 11 people who are in the front raw of among those who pursued a peaceful political struggle but were persecuted by the anti terrorism law. 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. The impact of antiterrorism law on human rights justice. Samuel gebre, lawmakers approve bill boosting access to regional courts suspects to be presented in court within 48 hours of. On may 2016, the act passed after the first reading.
Marshall inscr integrated network for societal conflict research cidcm center for international development and conflict management university of maryland, college park and the center for systemic peace draft. In august 2009, ethiopia enacted legislation to counter terrorism anti terrorism proclamation no. 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. Ethiopia s intervention in somalia in december 2006 temporarily secured the transitional governments position, but this appears to have sown the seed for a future. The paper assesses ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation and argues that, not only is the definition of terrorism problematic, but also the implementation of the law continues from the weak ends of the law, and makes the ethiopian situation rife for the violation of the right of thought, opinion and expression. 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. The terrorism act 2000 also makes payments to terrorists illegal. Sep 15, 2015 tura, husen ahmed, the impact of ethiopia s anti terrorism law on freedom of expression july 25, 2017. Jan 20, 2011 a proclamation on anti terrorism proclamation no. Meles took the absolute worst from apartheid south africas 1967 terrorism law.
Ethiopian anti terrorism law pdf counter terrorism. Ethiopias ruling coalition started talks with opposition groups on amending provisions of an antiterrorism law critics say has criminalised dissent, stateaffiliated media said. Prior to that, it had received support from the prime ministers cabinet. Globally, the country took a less important role for terrorism so far. This paper analyses ethiopias draft antiterrorism proclamation the draft proclamation and assesses to what extent the proposed law on its face conforms to. Analysis of ethiopias draft antiterrorism law human.
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