12/10/07 - ActionAid dismay at delayed verdict in Ethiopian trial

Two campaigners now in 24th month of imprisonment

Actionaid's chief executive Ramesh Singh commented today on the news that the anti-poverty campaigners Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie would remain in prison for a further six weeks awaiting the verdict in their trial.

UK 2007-10-12

He said: "The prosecution secured a month delay before submitting their written summing-up statement to the court. In the light of their procrastination we could understand if the judges needed another week or two to study the final prosecution and defence documents. But we are perplexed and disappointed by the additional 45 day adjournment..

"Daniel and Netsanet are innocent until proved guilty. But they will have spent more than two years in prison by the time they hear their verdict. They have repeatedly been denied bail - and as recently as this past August. The trial has twice been adjourned for the court's annual two-month recess, and many times for shorter periods. In all these circumstances we share the dismay expressed by Daniel to the judges on Tuesday at this further lengthy delay before a verdict is handed down and the conclusion of the case."

The two anti-poverty campaigners are now in their 24th month in prison, charged with 'outrage against the constitution and the constitutional order', an offence which in some circumstances can carry a penalty of life imprisonment or death.

They are the only remaining defendants in a treason trial in which charges were brought against 127 individuals and four organisations in January 2006. All their co-defendants are now free, either acquitted by the court or convicted, sentenced, pardoned and freed.

In July, pardons were granted to 38 people, including prominent members of the opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy, who had recently been convicted and sentenced in the same trial. All had signed a document recognising their actions as unconstitutional. Daniel and Netsanet were given the opportunity to sign the same document but declined to do so as they wished to demonstrate to the court their innocence of the charges they faced.

Daniel Bekele, 40, joined ActionAid Ethiopia as head of policy, research and advocacy in 2004. Netsanet Demissie, 30, co-founded the Organisation for Social Justice in Ethiopia to foster democracy through education, policy-making and advocacy work, acting as its chief executive. Together they helped to organise the Ethiopian activities of the international civil society coalition, Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP). Both were on the executive committee of a network of non-governmental organisations monitoring Ethiopia's contested parliamentary elections of 15 May 2005.

They have been recognised by Amnesty International as prisoners of conscience and human rights defenders.

A verdict was expected on Tuesday 9 October when Ethiopia's Federal High Court reconvened after its annual recess. However, the judges adjourned the trial until Thursday 22 November, 2007, saying that they needed extra time to consider all the evidence.

Ramesh Singh added: "We knew an adjournment was a possibility, but we never imagined it would be so long. This is very, very disappointing."

Notes to editors

An account of the trial to date, a timeline and a collection of trial documents can be found at http://www.actionaid.org/main.aspx?PageID=560

For more information contact Tony Durham, ActionAid UK media office, +44 (0)20 7561 7636, mobile +44 (0)7872 378251

ActionAid works in over 50 countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas to fight global poverty and injustice.

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12/10/07 - ActionAid dismay at delayed verdict in Ethiopian trial

Two campaigners now in 24th month of imprisonment

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