Ethiopian opposition leader Professor Bekele Gerba pictured at the NPR office in Washington, D.C., August 2015. (Photo: Mahafreen H. Mistry/NPR)
By Mahlet Fasil
Addis Ababa — Judges at the Federal High Court 19th Criminal Bench here in the capital have today adjourned the hearing until August 01, 2016 to give verdict involving the case for high level opposition figures.
The verdict will decide on whether or not defendants have a case to defend. Today’s decision came after judges have gone through prosecutors’ charges indicting defendants with terrorism related charges and the preliminary objection statements presented from the defendants.
The 22 detainees who are charged under various articles of Ethiopia’s Anti-Terrorism Proclamation (ATP) include Bekele Gerba and Dejene Fita Geleta, first secretary general and secretary general of the opposition Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC). All of them were arrested between November and December 2015, shortly after the start (and in connection with) Oromo protests in November that gripped the nation for the next five months. Defendants include several members of OFC, students and civil servants who came from various parts of the Oromia regional state…
Speaking to the court on behalf of the first four defendants, Dejene Fita Geleta said that he and the three other co-defendants with him, Addis Bulala, Gurmesa Ayano, and Bekele Gerba, have all been kept in a dark room since the last hearing on June 03 and were only allowed irregular family visits which often lasts between three-five minutes. He also told the court that the cell in which all the four were kept at has an open toilet inside it.
Lawyer Amha Mekonnen, who represented the four, on his part told the court that his client Bekele Gerba was denied access to a prescription medication after falling ill inside the facility.
Read the full article at addisstandard.com »
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Related:
US Deeply Concerned by Charges of Terrorism Against Prof. Bekele Gerba
Ethiopia Charges Opposition Leader Professor Bekele Gerba With Terrorism
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