Addis Dimts

Meyesaw — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 04:09:19 +0000

Candlelight Memorial For Alem Dechasa

Meyesaw — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 14:11:05 +0000

We are organizing a Candlelight Vigil in memory of Alem Dechasa on Saturday April 7, from 6:30pm to 8pm by the White House, at Lafayette Square. Alem Dechasa was a migrant domestic worker in Lebanon who was beaten in public by her employer earlier this month and later reported deceased. Her story was not an isolated incident. According to HRW report, one domestic migrant worker commits suicide each week in Lebanon alone.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The goal for the Vigil is to raise awareness regarding the abuse of migrant domestic workers in the Middle East and urge the governments involved to implement systemic reforms to prevent such abuses in the future.

We would be honored to have you at the event.

Justice 4 Alem,

www.justice4alem.org

End Torture in Ethiopia: Candle Light Vigil in DC, March 4, 2012 at 5 PM

Meyesaw — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 20:17:00 +0000

Free Ethiopian Citizens – Protest at the Saudi Embassy

Meyesaw — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 03:57:24 +0000

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Free Ethiopian Citizens – Protest at the Saudi Embassy

We demand Saudi Arabia to immediately release Ethiopians!

Ethiopian-Americans and friends of Ethiopia are uniting together to hold a protest outside the Saudi Arabia Embassy. The purpose of the Protest is to demand the release of Ethiopians who are unjustly detained by the Saudi Arabia Government. Thirty Five (35) Ethiopians, 6 men and 29 women, remain in jail under inhumane conditions since December 15th 2012.

The protesters condemn the unjust incarceration of these Ethiopian Christians while exercising their religious rights (praying) in their own homes and call on the Government of Saudi Arabia to respect their rights and to release them immediately.

The Protest will take place in front of the Saudi Arabia Embassy in Washington DC on Tuesday Feb 28, 2012 starting from 10AM.

The Protest is organized by collaboration of Ethiopian human right activists living in Washington DC area.

For more information please contact:

Mr. Jonathan Racho at (240) 551 – 7870 or jonathan@persecution.org
Mr. Kebadu Belachew at (703) 216 – 8459 or kebadu@gmail.com

Candle Light Vigil in DC: February 5 2012

Meyesaw — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 02:37:31 +0000

To read the full announcement click here.

December Candle Light Vigil and Protest

Meyesaw — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 13:40:41 +0000

Ethio-American Muslim Ad-Hoc committee: No to Violations of Ethiopian Muslims Right by the Ethiopian Government!

Meyesaw — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 04:59:25 +0000

Urgent Media Release

Ethio-American Muslim Ad-Hoc committee

Contact: Sadik Ahmed, Public Relations

Phone: +1-202-569-8455

E.Mail: fhfhumanright@gmail.com

No to Violations of Ethiopian Muslims Right by the Ethiopian Government!

We, the Ethiopian/American Muslim Community in the Washington Metropolitan Area, are gravely concerned about the Ethiopian government’s interference in Ethiopian Muslims’ religious affairs by imposing a religious sect of its choice.

According to different media outlets and Ethiopian government officials, the government sponsored Lebanese and Syrian nationals who are alien to Ethiopian Muslims’ religious cultures and ways of life started the indoctrination of the Muslim populace with the choice of theology of the government’s like. Lately, the violation of Ethiopian Muslims’ religious rights intensified in most public spheres. Officials who work closely with the government informed the media in Ethiopia about the plan to train (indoctrinate) close to 30,000 imams throughout the country by violating its own constitution as a secular government and forcing students and their parents sign documents agreeing not to wear the religiously mandated head scarf (Hijab) or perform the religiously mandated prayers even though the official stated policy permits them to do so. As part of this plan of intimidation, the government announced the arrest of over 500 Muslims religious leaders and activist in the town of Assandabo in Oromia region.

We the Ethio/American Muslims of Washington Metro Area are deeply disappointed and saddened to see the government that is supposed to protect and guaranty the implementation of the constitution, blatantly violate it itself. The Ethiopian government clearly undermined article 11 that calls for the “separations of state and religion” by actively helping the imposition of religious sect that it favors on Ethiopian Muslims. The constitution states: “The state shall not interfere in religious matters and religion shall not interfere in state affairs”. It has also violated article-27 that guarantees the freedom of religion, belief and opinion.

We the Ethio/American Muslims of Washington Metro are believe Ethiopia which is one of the poorest countries in the world with massive economic problem is spending its meager resources and foreign aid money in the senseless business of religious indoctrination of its populace. American Tax payers Money should not be used for the purpose of religious indoctrination or human right violation.

Therefore we the Ethio/American Muslims of Washington Metro Area announce our plan to stage a mass protest on November 21, 2011.

Join us on our mass protest of the Ethiopian government.
Date: November 21st, Time: 9:00 AM in front of the White house, then the State department protest disperses at the State Department at 1:30PM

Listen or download Audio Clips related to the event:

Clip 1: Dr. Shiferaw

Clip 2: Hajji Saeed Gizawu

Ethiopia charges six journalists with terrorism

Meyesaw — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 21:12:22 +0000

New York, November 11, 2011–A judge in Ethiopia’s federal high court charged six journalists with terrorism on Thursday under the country’s antiterrorism law, bringing the number of journalists charged under the statute since June to 10, CPJ research found.

Twenty-four people, including imprisoned dissident blogger Eskinder Nega and five other journalists critical of the government who work online and in exile, were charged, according to the court charge sheet obtained by CPJ. Nega, a contributor to U.S.-based Ethiopian diaspora news websites; editors Mesfin Negash and Abiye Teklemariam of the U.S.-based Addis Neger Online; Abebe Gellaw of the U.S.-based Addis Voice; Abebe Belew of the U.S.-based radio station Addis Dimts; and Fasil Yenealem of Netherlands-based station ESAT were charged with providing support to Ginbot 7, a banned opposition movement that the government formally designated a terrorist entity under the sweeping 2009 antiterrorism law this year, the charge sheet said. The law criminalizes any reporting that authorities deem “encourage” or “provide moral support” to groups the government has labeled terrorists. The five journalists in exile were charged in absentia.

In an interview with Agence France-Presse, government spokesman Shimelis Kemal accused the journalists of “abetting, aiding, and supporting a terrorist group.” Kemal accused Ethiopia’s neighbor, Eritrea, of involvement in a vague plot against the country. “They have received from the Eritrean government weapons and explosives for the purpose of carrying out terrorist activities in Ethiopia,” Kemal said.

“Ethiopia’s terrorism charges against journalists critical of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi‘s government are becoming vague and ludicrous,” said CPJ East Africa Consultant Tom Rhodes. “The authorities have failed to provide any hard evidence and should drop these charges immediately.”

Two of the journalists, Nega and Yenealem, were imprisoned on anti-state charges for coverage critical of the government’s brutal repression of pro-democracy protests following Ethiopia’s disputed 2005 election, according to CPJ research. Nega has been imprisoned since September 14 in Maekelawi Federal Detention Center, where torture is commonly used, according to a Human Rights Watch report. One of the 24 arrested, opposition leader Natnael Mekonnen, told the court he had been abused repeatedly in custody, news reports said.

Editors Negash and Teklemariam shut down their newspaper in late 2009, following a series of arrests and the threat of imminent arrest under the antiterrorism law over their in-depth coverage of political affairs, CPJ research showed. Gellaw fled the country in 1998, and in 1999, Belew started a radio program based in Washington, D.C. that broadcast commentaries critical of the government.

Ethiopia’s repression over the last decade drove the highest number of journalists into exile in the world, according to a CPJ study. Ethiopia trails only Eritrea as Africa’s leading jailer of journalists.

Meyesaw — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 06:38:19 +0000

March 4 Freedom Campaigns To Set Reeyot Alemu & Woubshet Taye Free

Meyesaw — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 02:31:43 +0000

Reeyot Alemu & Woubshet Taye are journalists who have been imprisoned in Ethiopia since mid June. Both journalists are allegedly being tortured and abused in prison. Both are incarcerated for having exercised their right to freedom of expression and their frequent critics agaist the rulers.

March 4 Freedom asks readers to sign the petition to Free Reeyot Alemu & Woubshet Taye.