Rights Watchdog Decries Unlawful Detention Of Tigrayans In Ethiopia

Umer Jamshaid Published July 16, 2021 | 07:20 PM

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th July, 2021) Prominent watchdog group Amnesty International called on the Ethiopian government on Friday to end unlawful detention of Tigrayans, activists, and journalists, urging them to reveal the location of detainees.

After the recapture of the Tigray region's capital, Mekelle, by the Tigray Defence Forces (TDF) in June, police in Addis Ababa are reported to have arrested and detained dozens of Tigrayans without due process.

The rights group alleged that the arrests appear to be ethnically motivated, as police often check identity before arrest.

"Former detainees told us that police stations are filled with people speaking Tigrinya and that authorities had conducted sweeping mass arrests of Tigrayans," the director for East and Southern Africa, Deprose Muchena, said.

Although some people have been released on bail, it is estimated that hundreds of others are still in detention, and their location remains unknown.

The group urged the government to charge the detainees promptly with universally-recognized crimes and give them fair trials, or release them immediately and unconditionally.

They also pressed the government to inform families of the location of those detained and ensure that they have access to lawyers and their families.

Clashes in the province of Tigray erupted in November after the Ethiopian government accused the local ruling party � the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) � of ambushing a regional army post to hijack weapons and arm anti-government militia. Since then, the Tigray region has been occupied by the Ethiopian military, resulting in fighting with rebels.

On June 28, the Ethiopian government declared an unconditional ceasefire in the province following the recapture of the regional capital of Mekelle by TDF, which prompted government forces to retreat. However, the government's military has threatened to send troops back into Tigray, underlining the fragility of peace in the region.