An examination of ethiopias anti terrorism proclamation. Proclamation on antiterrorism, published in the federal negarit gazeta of the federal republic of ethiopia on 28 august 2009 proclamation against international standards on freedom of expression. Visit the ethiopia page of the website of the financial action task force download law documents as pdf. Since its enactment on july 2009, ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation wasis at the very center of almost every political discourse in the nation. The government used the antiterrorism proclamation atp and other measures to restrict organized opposition and antigovernment protests, including through the detention and prosecution of muslims engaged in protests against what the protestors said was. This diktat approved on a 28691 vote of the rubberstamp parliament is so arbitrary and capricious that human rights watch. The broad provisions of the antiterrorism proclamation allow the authorities to criminalize the exercise of freedom of expression. Pdf the impact of ethiopias antiterrorism law on freedom of. The draft law is due for consideration in the council of ministers.
The ethiopian government has used the anti terrorism proclamation to jail journalists and opposition party members for peacefully exercising their freedoms of expression and association. Analysis of ethiopias draft antiterrorism proclamation march 9, 2009 summary 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. 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. Analysis of ethiopias draft antiterrorism proclamation. The new partnership may well prove of great value to both countries as, many would contend, was the earlier one. Ethiopias ruling coalition started talks with opposition groups on wednesday on amending provisions of an antiterrorism law that critics say has criminalized dissent, stateaffiliated media said.
Cite as, national legislative bodies national authorities, ethiopia. Article 19 has extensive experience of working on freedom of expression and information issues in ethiopia. Eleven statements from his facebook page were used as evidence. As a living victim of misuse of the antiterrorism proclamation atp in ethiopia, i face a heartbreaking judgement oftentimes from ordinary citizens who knew that i was once charged of the atp. In august 2009, ethiopia enacted legislation to counter terrorism antiterrorism proclamation no. The antiterrorism proclamation of ethiopia has a farreaching effect on human rights, such as freedom of expression. Time to repeal antiterrorism law in ethiopia inter. New anti terrorism proclamation jeopardizes freedom of expression. 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. See committee to protect journalists, in ethiopia antiterrorism law chills. Ethiopia to amend antiterror laws in political thaw. 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.
The law permits warrantless arrests for various offenses including flagrant offenses. The government of ethiopia routinely uses its vague and overly broad antiterrorism law to stifle freedom of expression and political opposition. Sustained corruption and human rights violations have caused widespread unrest in ethiopia since 2015. The european union delegation in ethiopia welcomed the dropping of legal charges and andargachews release. Ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation and the right to. This practice raises serious concerns about the extent to which ethiopians can rely upon their constitutionally guaranteed rights to afford the protection that. In justifying his antiterrorism law in february 2012, zenawi offered the following mindboggling explanation to his rubberstamp parliament. This proclamation may be cited as the antiterrorism proclamation no. Ethiopia may well need a fair and effective law to combat terrorism, but this is not it, said joanne mariner, terrorism and counterterrorism program director at human rights watch. By framing the ethiopian antiterrorism proclamation of 2009 as an. The law gives leeway to criminalize innocent acts of individuals who are critical of government policies. A new report by the policy and human rights think tank, oakland institute, titled ethiopias antiterrorism law. 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 antiterrorism proclamation, 2009. The antiterrorism law makes the criminal code applicable only to the extent that the code is consistent with the antiterrorism law provisions antiterrorism proclamation, 36, supra.
A change in the countrys leadership in 2018 provided ethiopians with hope of a change to the status quo. In ethiopia, the threat of imprisonment for political journalists is constant. Ecadf ethiopian news ethiopian news, video and opinions. In august 2009, ethiopia enacted legislation to counter terrorism anti terrorism proclamation no. This diktat approved on a 28691 vote of the rubberstamp parliament is so arbitrary and. From march 2011 to december 2011 at least 108 opposition party members and six journalists were arrested in ethiopia for alleged involvement with various proscribed terrorist groups. While legitimate antiterrorism laws have been enacted in a number of countries, these critics of ethiopias antiterrorism law have. Freedom of expression and the ethiopian antiterrorism. Ethiopian government and opposition start talks on amending. Ethiopian government, opposition start talks on anti. File pedestrians walk past the federal high court building in addis ababa, ethiopia, nov.
The government used the anti terrorism proclamation atp and other measures to restrict organized opposition and anti government protests, including through the detention and prosecution of muslims engaged in protests against what the protestors said was continued government interference in religious affairs. Ethiopian antiterrorism law archives ethiopian legal brief. While anticorruption laws remain strong in principle, they. Laws in ethiopia designed to prosecute terrorism are increasingly being used to silence political dissidents, opposition party members, journalists and others in civil society. Instead, yonatan tesfaye, a former spokesman of the semayawi blue party, was detained in december 2015 on charges under article 4 of ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation. New antiterrorism proclamation jeopardizes freedom. Apr 06, 2020 a proclamation on antiterrorism proclamation no. By blain biset, ips addis ababa, dec 6 2012 ips ethiopias antiterrorism 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. Analysis of ethiopias draft antiterrorism law human. Ethiopian legal information portal find laws, cases. Obama has expressed keen interest in learning from ethiopias counterterrorism and counterinsurgency strategies. 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. Aug 30, 20 ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation and the right to freedom of expression.
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. The office of the federal attorney general established a legal advisory council, composed of prominent legal experts, on 29 june 2018. Ethiopia uses antiterror laws to silence critical journalists. Ethiopia and the global antiterrorism campaign center. A proclamation on prevention and suppression of money laundering and the financing of terrorism. The proclamation also extends aspects of the anti terrorism proclamation and the criminal code to electronic communications. Ethiopias ruling coalition started talks with opposition groups on wednesday on amending provisions of an antiterrorism law that critics say.
Ethiopia s highly controversial anti terrorism law, proclamation no. Addis abeba, march 62017 as fresh terrorism charges against several individuals surge following the yearlong public protests that led to the current state of emergency, prosecutors in ethiopia have today charged a group of 76 individuals with various articles of ethiopias infamous antiterrorism proclamation atp according to the charges in the file name of miftah. Time to repeal antiterrorism law in ethiopia zehabesha. Ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation and the right to freedom of expression. Administrative procedure proclamation ethiopia covid19 workplace response protocol ministry of labor ethiopia. Hate speech and disinformation prevention and suppression proclamation. Comment on ethiopian antiterrorism proclamation article 19, london, 2010.
Jan 20, 2011 download antiterrorism proclamation no. Council of ministers approves antiterrorism law embassy. We took from america, england and the european model antiterrorism laws. This is the conclusion reached by the united nations, the worlds leading democracies, international. Dawit kebede is editor of the awramba times, one of. Ethiopian government and opposition start talks on. The proclamation also extends aspects of the antiterrorism proclamation and the criminal code to electronic communications. 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. An examination of ethiopias anti terrorism proclamation on. We recently condemned the application of the anti terrorism proclamation. Definitions in this proclamation, unless the context otherwise requires.
They say, you must have been involved in something that got you suspected of terrorism. Mar 06, 2017 mahlet fasil addis abeba, march 62017 as fresh terrorism charges against several individuals surge following the yearlong public protests that led to the current state of emergency, prosecutors in ethiopia have today charged a group of 76 individuals with various articles of ethiopias infamous antiterrorism proclamation atp. 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. It criminalizes indirect encouragement to the preparation, instigation and. 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. A tool to stifle dissent, details how the ethiopian government imprisons, oppresses. 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. By framing the ethiopian antiterrorism proclamation of 2009 as an extension of the ruling partys neopatrimonial design, this article examines the laws draconian effects on freedom of speech in ethiopias digital sphere. A tool to stifle dissent, authored by lawyers from leading international law firms, provides an indepth and damning analysis of ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation. The 20 edition of the human rights and democracy report of the government of the united kingdom uk severely criticized the government of ethiopia for its application of its anti terrorism proclamation and the charities and societies proclamation, which hampers the activity of the opposition camp of the country. Anti terrorism proclamation eatp to prosecute several ethiopian citizens and organizations that are critical of the ruling party. Prevention and suppression of terrorism crimes proclamation.
Whereas, money laundering and the financing of terrorism as it not only threaten security, but also compromise the stability, transparency, soundness and efficiency of the financial system. Amnesty international believes that at least 108 journalists and opposition members were arrested in 2011 primarily because of their legitimate and peaceful criticism of. The ruling ethiopian peoples revolutionary democratic front eprdf, a coalition of four ethnically based parties, controls the government. Ethiopia charges 76 individuals with terrorism addis. 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. Reacting to the news that the ethiopian parliament has today. Under the antiterrorism proclamation atp, police may request to detain persons without charge for 28day periods, up to a maximum of four months, during an investigation.
Jun 21, 2014 hrw ethiopianantiterrorlaw pdf summary. In drafting our antiterrorism law, we copied wordforword the very best antiterrorism laws in the world. 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. Time to repeal antiterrorism law in ethiopia inter press. Ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation was introduced in 2009. Instead, yonatan tesfaye, a former spokesman of the semayawi blue party, was detained in december 2015 on charges under article 4 of. 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. 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. The report examines how the law, enacted in 2009, is a tool of repression, designed and used by the ethiopian government to silence its critics. Pdf this article analyses the impact of ethiopias antiterrorism law on the enjoyment of the right to freedom of expression and. 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. 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 large.
Several countries have adopted counter terrorism legal frameworks in the past two decades. It confirms that the law is designed and used by the ethiopian government as a tool of. 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. The criminal code of the federal democratic republic of ethiopia 2004, art. 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. Moreover, it was developed to fill the gaps in the previous antiterrorism proclamation no. Ethiopias highly controversial antiterrorism law, proclamation no. The provisions of this law that impact freedom of expression are discussed in this article. Proclamation submitted by ethiopias legal advisory council to the federal attorney general. Council of ministers of ethiopia passes antiterrorism law monday may 20, 2019 the council of ministers of ethiopia approved the bill against terrorism, after extensive deliberation to insert some amendments, said today a statement from the office of the prime minister.
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