Press Release: Release Political Prisoners in Ethiopia and Stop using aid to punish dissent

January 25, 2013

Release Political Prisoners In Ethiopia and Stop Using Aid to Punish Dissent

Oromo opposition politicians, Bekele Gerba
and Olbana Lelisa, arrested in August 2011
 after speaking with AmnestyInternational
officials; sentenced with seven other Oromo
 in November 2012 tolong prison terms 

Ethiopia receives $3 billion in aid each year. Donors claim the country is on the road to democracy but this is wrong.

UK aid is denied by local officials to those who criticise the government. It is used as a tool of repression. Scores of thousands of political prisoners are being tortured today in Ethiopian prisons.

Millions need food aid while millions of hectares of arable land are rented cheap to foreign investors.

Ethiopia has one of the biggest and best-equipped armies in Africa but one third of its budget is from aid.  

We call on the UK Government to promote real democratic change in Ethiopia.

Riyana Abdurahman, a young refugee
and teacher in Somaliland,  abducted
22  Nov 2012, in prison in Ethiopia.

Over 100 Addis Ababa university students  were arrested and severely beaten on 2 January 2013. About 200 young Oromo were arrested at the annual Irreechaa festival in central Ethiopia on 30 September 2012. Hundreds of Muslims protesting at government interference are arrested in demonstrations every week.

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the US State Department have corroborated these and other abuses over the last 22 years.


There are more Oromo refugees than ever before. Over one hundred thousand of us in Europe and America call for change.  

Oromo Community in the UK
Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa
Oromo Studies Association
Oromia Support Group
Oromo Relief Association UK
Oromo Students Union-UK
Oromo Youth Association-UK