Human Rights in Ethiopia: Casualty of the "War on Terror"? (Huffington post)
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- Today's Top HEADLINES
- INTERNATIONAL news
- Picture of the day
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(The Huffington post)
An Ethiopian court sentenced 35 opposition politicians and activists to life in prison on Monday, AP reports. The prosecution had asked for the death penalty against the defendants, who included Ethiopia's top opposition leaders.
Those sentenced to life imprisonment include the leader of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy, Hailu Shawel; Berhanu Nega, who was elected mayor of Addis Ababa; former Harvard scholar Mesfin Woldemariam; and former U.N. special envoy and former Norfolk State University professor, Yacob Hailemariam.
Human rights groups condemned the trial as an attempt to silence government critics, and opposition leaders have claimed it was politically motivated.
Where is the U.S. State Department in all of this? Absent without leave. It seems that since Ethiopia is doing the State Department's bidding in Somalia, the U.S. is turning a blind eye to the Ethiopian government's crackdown on dissent.(More...)
Today's Top HEADLINES
-BREAK DOWN OF SENTENCES PASSED BY THE KANGAROO COURT-Ana Gomes appalled by the court’s sentences
-Washington Post: Opposition Figures Get Life Terms in Widely Faulted Case
-Ethiopia mulls opposition pardon bid
-[Audio] B.S. (Bereket Simon) on VOA
-CPJ: High Court sentences six journalists to prison, four to life
-SOCEPP Canada on the tragedy in ogaden
-Inde Hewan - Letter to Reuters
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
-Opposition to Darfur resolution
-Mugabe critic sued for adultery
-Israel, Palestinians Welcome Bush Plan
-Iraq's Sadr Ends Boycott of Parliament
-Syria's President Sworn in for 2nd Term
-UK declares 'diplomatic war'
-Steve Jobs tops list of online music "Powergeeks"
Picture of the day
It is not that there is a lack of heroes of freedom and democracy in Ethiopia that we chose to feature Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese human rights icon, on today’s picture of the day. It is rather to point out to those who refuse to take note (particularly to our friends in the U.S and E.U) the similarity of the political climate between the two countries. So as to make the point that travesty committed by the authorities in Ethiopia is no less inhumane or unjust than that of the Burmese government; to plead with the west to give democracy activists in the former the fervent support their counterparts in the later are accustomed to.
Learn more about Aung San Suu Kyi and her courageous fight for democracy:Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
Also see ‘Letter from Kaliti Jail’ by Bertukan Mideksa, Ethiopia’s “San Suu Kyi”
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