Bid to free investigators
2005-06-14 20:36
Addis Ababa -The Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) said on Tuesday police had arrested two of its investigators probing alleged abuses by authorities during a police crackdown on post-election violence.
It said the pair, Yared Haile Mariam and Berhanu Tsigu, were detained at their office on Monday and taken away by uniformed members of the Ethiopian security forces.
"Their whereabouts are unknown," it said in a statement.
The arrests took place shortly after an EHRCO official said more than 3 000 opposition members and supporters had been rounded up by police in the wake of violence last week in which at least 36 people were killed.
EHRCO appealed for "all human rights organisations, members of the international community and human rights defenders to call on the Ethiopian government to release unconditionally these two human rights defenders".
The group said on Monday's arrests brought to three the number of its employees detained by police and held incommunicado in an undisclosed location since protests against alleged fraud in the May 15 polls began.
Government officials could not be reached to comment on the arrests or the reported weekend slaying by police of an opposition politician elected to parliament in the disputed vote.
Ban on demonstrations extended
Protests against provisional election results showing a ruling party victory began on June 6 among students in Addis Ababa in defiance of a one-month ban on demonstrations in the capital.
In a televised address late on Monday, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi extended the demonstration ban, which had been due to expire on Wednesday, by one month and defended the actions of the police as necessary to preserve the peace.
But the United States on Monday condemned what it called the "unnecessary use of excessive force" by Ethiopian security forces during the election protests.
"We urge the government to respect the rule of law, international principles of human rights, and due process with regard to those arrested or detained," state department spokesperson Sean McCormack said.
The worst violence occurred on Wednesday when police opened fire on crowds in the downtown area, killing at least 35 people. Two days earlier, a high school student was killed during clashes between protestors and police.
Meles' extension of the demonstration ban means it will remain in force until at least July 8 when the national election board is due to issue official results after considering nearly 300 complaints of vote rigging and fraud.