ADDIS ABABA — The government needs to hold people responsible for carrying out or directing acts of torture, regardless of their rank or political position, in fair, transparent trials, says Human Rights Watch(HRW).
In its performance report about the assessment of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government on Human Rights issue, HRW indicated that both the premier and other senior officials have admitted that torture had been used, and some detention centers long associated with abuse were closed. Some senior officials implicated in human rights abuses have been arrested, but very few security officials have been held to account for years of abuse and torture.
Survivors of torture report that they are unable to access any of the psychosocial – mental health — services they need. Tens of thousands of political prisoners, including very high-profile prisoners, have been released from detention and many were pardoned. There have been some reports of politically motivated arrests in other parts of Ethiopia, but far fewer than in the past. While HRW continues to receive some reports of beatings and mistreatment of detainees arrested in the past year, the volume has dropped dramatically.
As some steps have been taken toward increasing the independence of the judiciary, HRW has begun receiving reports of detainees being asked by judges about how they are treated in detention – which generally did not happen in the past. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other independent observers, both international and domestic, should have access to federal and regional places of detention. Affiliation with the OLF or other opposition groups should not be a reason for detention. Anyone detained should be charged within the specified period under Ethiopian law or released. Military or “rehabilitation camps” should not be used for detention, and Abiy should publicly state that “rehabilitation camps” are things of the past. Authorities should also ensure that federal, regional and other security personnel receive appropriate training on interrogation practices that adhere to international human rights standards, and they should ensure appropriate funding, oversight, and regulations to improve detention conditions. The government should also offer a standing invitation to the UN special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to visit Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian Herald April 6/2019
BY STAFF REPORTER
