Lawyers don't usually fit the bill of a hero. Yet 2005 gave birth to a handful of heroes from this unlikeliest of professions; their star shining brightly. Birtukan Mideksa, the most famous of all, was jailed by the autocrat for broaching freedom and anti-totalitarianism. Her fate was shared by Anteneh Mulugeta,Yeneneh Mulat, Netsanet Demissie and Daniel Bekele, young lawyers with profound conviction for the same ideals.
On February 18, at 4.00 am, security forces climbed over the barbed-wired wall of Birhane Mogesse's illustrious villa in the prosperous Atlas Hotel neighborhood, sneaked into his bedroom and pointed a gun at him while he was fast asleep. He was, we were told later, arrested for aiding and abetting the acts of terrorism. Since then this top-notch attorney in Addis had to bear the sight of the law books being shredded to pieces in the altars of the law: courts. A Swiss knife was presented in court as evidence to show Birhane's culpability in the alleged act.
Alemayehu Zemedkun, Firehiwot samuel, Woldemichael Meshesha, Teshale Aberra....All are obvious contenders to a lawyer- hero status. Enter a new name. Remember, you read it first here. Aklilu Solomon will hit the news media soon.
Aklilu's story offers inspiration. He came to the scene just after the 2005 election. With the results rigged and a state of emergency declared by executive fiat, Kinijit decided to test the independence of the country's judiciary. Aklilu et al brought a case against Meles Zenawi claiming that he breached a law when he prohibited public gatherings in Addis Ababa. A jittery Woldemichael Meshesha, the judge then, figured out a way of dodging the issue. In his decision he asserted that the issue was constitutional and; therefore, a matter for the Constitutional Inquiry Commission to decide. The commission decided that Meles didn't violate the constitution. Case closed.....But for not Aklilu.
An assiduous wooer of journalists, Aklilu explained the elementary errors of the decision to the public with remarkable thoughtfulness and insight. He later joined the election complaints investigation panel as a kinijit representative. Tireless and dedicated he is, the mockery of justice and law at that panel didn't discourage him. "I have faith with human beings. We make the system. The few bad apples in the system would lose in the end. This can't go on," he told this blogger just before the November crack-down.
That crack-down changed Aklilu's path of life completely. He became a member of the legal team defending political prisoners pro bono. When Birhane Mogesse, member of the team, was arrested, many lawyers feared the worst and left the scene. There was no stopping Aklilu though. He represented Kassahun Kebede, an official of the Ethiopian Teachers Association, who is on trial with kinijit leaders for treason and genocide. He faced constant intimidation and harassment by government agents and was told to quit. For the man with young family and a bright future, the easiest option must be to quit. Aklilu isn't one to take easy ways out. Representing an innocent union leader in the most ludicrous political trial in the country's history is in itself a torture. Going through real intimidation every day from the most brutal EPRDF agents is beyond an average person's limits of tolerance. "I am trying to ride the storm because I still believe in human spirit. I sometimes think even the judges will get it difficult to handle this mockery. It is tough," he wrote to me in one of our e-mail exchanges.
Even for him , the latest episode of EPRDF's action was intolerable. Accused of being involved in distribution of the civil disobedience calendar which landed at least 49 people in jail, the target of intimidation included his young family. It was enough. He followed other brave lawyers to exile. Now in a European country, he asks himself question all Ethiopians in the democracy movement ask: how can a country with such a tremendous potential be ruined by the most incompetent and brutal leaders?
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Great news!! I wonder what is going on with the woman lawyer association?? The day they start defending the democratic right of the citzens, the whole Ethiopia will be electrified.Let's hear about the giant sleeping group!!
Aklilu asks himself question: how can a country with such a tremendous potential be ruined by the most incompetent and brutal leaders?
Well, Aklilu the answer is very simple, it is because people like you were legitimizing the TPLF WOYANE BANDIT Regime by believing its made of human soul. That allowed it to herd Ethiopians like Arusi-sheep.
Aklilu woke up just now, and asks today what is happening? we have been asking that same question for the past two years and it seems there is no answer except to intensify the struggle for the freedom of our leaders and the end of OCCUPATION of our country, Enat-Ethiopia.
I remember once a person put the Ethiopian people current psyche right here on Zagol. He said, most Ethiopians especially people considered "intellectuals" try to stay out of all the mess TPLF created as if the task is sanctioned to people with less knowledge. They say its NOT my business to butt-in, others say "its his/her fault that TPLF fired them from their jobs, they should have kept their big-mouth shut."
Well, now that the loop is getting tighter on the neck of TPLF, and in turn TPLF is pulling the rope that uses to guide the Ethiopian intellectuals, like a horse pulling a wagon. Its about time Ethiopian intellectuals wake up and smell the coffee. Ethiopia is in the hands of the most dangerous criminals who will not hesitate to throw babies and elderlies in a boiling water, if they think it will give them a slight financial advantage. These are the people who are administering Ethiopia today, and they are preparing us for an other destructive war with our neighboring country, just because it will generate them some foreign hard currency for their long-term objective. I said it before and I am saying it again, there are well over 20 million Somalian speaking people in the region and only 2-million Tigres. We too should look at the world in TPLF WOYANE prism glass, look at the long-term best interest of our Ethiopia, I say all Ethiopians take sides with our Somalian brothers and sisters. TPLF WOYANE is raping our country's resources with a long term objective to liquidate us,but Somalians have no short or long term objectives against Enat-Ethiopia. If anything the Somalians are trying to build their country and we Ethiopians should lend a hand and help them rebuild their shattered economy and sociel institutions.
If you look at what the TPLF WOYANE TIGRES are doing is the most destructive crime to Enat-Ethiopia and Ethiopians as a whole. They are building their region so when the time comes and all PATRIOTIC-ETHIOPIANS stand up against TPLF WOYANE CRIMINALS and flip them UP-SIDE-DOWN, its likely that the international community will intervene to save the Tigre minorities ass and will suggest a solution based on ARTICLE-39. While we would like them to apply Article-39 right now, but we would like to make sure that they are not going to take an INCH of Gonder or Wello along with their GodForsakne dry land. That is what they are hopping and likely to happen, because by then they will have accumulated enough materials and resources from mother Ethiopia to last them for few decades. With the money they stash away in foregn banks the leaders should have no problems of getting away scot-free without any incident, after all they will have enough money to buy personal jets. Like NAZI FASCISTS they will hide away for a while until things cool down and re-appear again.
It is unfortunate there are several intellectual non-tigres who are unknowingly supporting this regime last longer than it should have. Aklilu was in the middle of it, he should have known better for he is an educated person who can assess the situation earlier. But then I don't blame him, because there are several more who are assisting this MURDEROUS Regime as you read this very post. I hope some how God will intill the moral and necessary understanding to free them all from the mental slavery they are gripped by, so they too will abandon it.
Patriotic-Ethiopian
ETHIOPIAN TIKDEM !!!
TPLF WOYANE YIWDEM!!!
Fellow Ethiopians, please calm down and stop the usual diatribe of over-accentuating the heroic status of all these individuals. Your bias is so blatant but your conviction in a sense of rightness blinds you from seeing the obvious reality. First, Ethiopians have faced various forms of un-democratic acts. WHERE THE HELL WERE ALL THESE LAWYERS? ALL THESE HEROES. PLEASE. These heroes only see Ethiopia as Addis Abeba. If they are heroes, they were SILENT, when the Gambelans were massacred and PROSECUTED IN COURT. They were SILENT when Oromo nationals were being Prosecuted for all forms of charges. How about Hadiya. Where THE HELL WERE THEY WHEN SIYE AND THE REST WERE BEING HUNTED DOWN. HYPOCRITES AND PARASITES. Go and was dishes in Europe, see if anyone cares.
Keep up with your delusional tales of grandeur.
Thanks EZ for the update. I think the popular movement is shining. For the above Anon weyanne agent the 2005 election and the CUD movement reflect all the voices of the oppressed ethiopian people regardless of their ethnic background. The above anon stop your evil weyanne mission division and hate among brotherly and sisterly people. I think we need to appreciate the sacrificie of these courgous individuals with great moral value and their contribution has great impact in overall struggle agains tyranny and opperession.
and Yalemzewd Bekele.
I was, am and will continue to be proud of being an Ethiopian. Long live Ethiopia!
tt
Dear EZ, Once again I thank you very much for your timely update.
The question asked: How can a country with such a tremendous potential be ruined by the most incompetent and brutal leaders?
It is hard to believe that how Meles Zenawi is capable of commiting such attrocities against a very promissing country and it's poor and innocent people.
I was once asked - why Zenawi fired 40 well educated and respected university professors with out consideration for the negative consequency of education and the economy. The answer is his sole intention is to destroy Ethiopia.
Now or later - Zenawi must face justice for all the crimes he commited. We Ethiopians can not afford to stand by and see this monster destroy our country.
Answer to Patriotic-Ethiopia,
You appear to snab Aklilu for risking his life for the sake of human rights. Do you even know what a pro-bono means? Do you know what to be accused of distributing the Disobedience calender (in Addis Ababa) meanse? Have you ever done any thing that looks like this in the midst of fully patrolled and terrorized city? Have you ever received a threat message from the meles armed officers like Aklilu did? What does legitimizing Woyane fit into this scenario?
For God's sake let's at least appreciate what should be appreciated ( unless you are a Woyene security agent who is mad at Aklilu's escape)
Thanks EZ for the update. I have to admit this post is one of your best. We really appreciate your willingness to share your insight and first hand knowledge with us. I also would like to wish our talented young attorney, Aklilu Solomon and his family all the best. I am sure he will be able to contribute a lot towards the struggle for freedom and democracy in Ethiopia wherever he is.
PATRIOTIC-ETHIOPIAN: We really appreciate your dedication and all that , but could you please calm down a bit?
Zagol the Great,
Thanks once again for writing another uplifting piece. Young patriotic Ethiopians like Aklilu are the hope and salvation of mother Ethiopia.
Patriotic-Ethiopian,
Chill out! you seem to be running your mouth too often. It is always easy for armchair patriots to pontificate.
Ownership concentration
The increased role of the private sector in the Ethiopian economy outside the agriculture sector is largely due to two groups of actors, the MIDROC-group, owned by the Ethio-Saudi businessman Sheik Mohammad Hussein Al-Amoudi, and the TPLF-owned Endowment Fund for the Rehabilitation of Tigray, the EFFORT-group.
Sheik Al-Amoudi's business activities include agricultural, Even though Sheik Mohammad Hussein Al-Amoudi's MIDROCgroup's business activities are widespread and increasing, this group has not created a debate and a criticism that can compete with the debate about and the criticism of the other non-government business group, the EFFORTgroup.
As is clear from its name, this group has both its objective and its activities largely directed towards the Tigray region. Like the MIDROCgroup, the EFFORT-group operates in more or less all business sectors.
The EFFORT-group has organised itself along the following businesssector lines:
– Agriculture and agro-processing
– Construction and engineering
– Manufacturing
– Mining
– Services, including banking (Wegagan) and transports (TESCO)
As noted above, the EFFORT-group has its basis in the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) even though it is formally an independent share company. From the point of view of efficient competition, as indicated by the experience from the transport sector and revealed in the surveys about the business climate mentioned above, the close relation between TPLF and the present Ethiopian government easily creates doubts about the equal treatment of EFFORT-companies and other non-party-related private companies. As there is no efficient and working commercial legislation, these doubts, well founded or not, easily create problems concerning the government's legitimacy and the credibility of its private sector policies
Source: http://www.sida.se/shared/jsp/download.jsp?f=SIDA4306en_CER2004-4_Ethiopia+web.pdf&a=2866
Aklilu was one of the individuals at a very high risk under Woyane surveillance . Thank God that he made it! I know how Aklilu is outspoken when it comes to the inhumane nature of Woyane.He is well known for confronting woyannes from the courtroom based on the available legal procedure. Good that he escaped safe!
Ethio Zagol, I read your bloggs almost on a daily basis and admire your boldness, accuracy of facts and writing style. I think you are one of the few worriers of freedom and democracy with the a bit ahead of the EPRDF-Thugs desclosing pure and credible facts. Hats off! Well done! Though I may not write comments often, I'm a dedicated reader of your wonderful blog!
Keep up the good job and be careful of the Woyane beasts!
Fikre Hizb
EZ,
Thank you for the usual juicy news. It is wonderful that this influential young man escaped. As you siad the contributions of lawyers and some like professionals is often overlooked. There is this tendency of running with the politicians; the truth of the matter is , however, that any good political decision is often a result of the works of such individuals. I have also heard a rumor that if Kinijit had decided to administer Addis Ababa, Aklilu was the candidates for the regional justice bureau. Hope to see a new era where freedom and justice prevail. Good luck Aklil!
Job well done. God bless u and your family.
Long live Ethiopia
Listen, you'ol!
I am not trying to make Aklilu Solomon look bad, already he does not look good. I don't consider him to be a hero, if anything he worked with TPLF WOYANE even after the HEROIC YOUNG ETHIOPIANS WHO PROTESTED AGAINST TPLF election rigging, I consider those young PATRIOTIC ETHIOPIANS WHO DIED WITH BULLETS SHOT BY TPLF WOYANE SPECIAL AGAZI FORCE TARGETING THEM FROM ROOF TOPS. Those are the heroes all ETHIOPIANS SHOULD NEVER FORGET, anyone that worked with TPLF WOYANE AFTER THE RIGGING OF THE 2005 ELECTIONS IS NOT A HERO in my definition. The other heroes are ELECTED MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, PEOPLE LIKE HAILU SHAWEL WHO REFUSED TO JOIN TPLF IN PARLIAMENT ARE MY HEROES. Other than that the people who worked with TPLF WOYANE after the rigged election and mass murder I consider them as OPPORTUNISTS.
Aklilu Solomon could say all he wants, now that he escaped unharmed. He only escaped unharmed because he never protested with the thousands that STOOD UP TO TPLF WOYANE and put into concentration camps to only receive injection with HIV/AIDS contaminated blood and fluid. He just escaped unharmed with his family safe because he never protested against TPLF WOYANE MASS MURDERING Ethiopians laying them in broad light in the streets of major cities and countryside. I bet you all, he left Ethiopia because he felt it is not safe for his family, not that TPLF is PARANOID and picking up on everyone, but other families are unable to bring their family members out of the harms way. So, I don't personally feel for Aklilu and alike who have been working with this regime after hell broke loose. Now that they are outside they say everything to blend in with everyone, but those are the people I mentioned early on my post they don’t like to mess their career, because its not their business to get into trouble with TPLF WOYANE CADRES. They all say they were working under the table to undermine TPLF, but the truth remains those who died are the heroes and we will do everything to ensure that ETHIOPIA MUST NOT FORGET! THEY DIED SO WE CAN HAVE A FREE AND DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM WHERE THERE IS JUSTICE and ACCOUNTABILITY.
PATRIOTIC-ETHIOPIAN
PATRIOTIC-ETHIOPIAN ,
You are a Woyane! Get out of this ROOM ! Go to Aiga forum-that is where you belong!!!!!!!1
Patriotic-Ethiopian,
According to your definition a Hero is a one who is shot dead or imprisoned. You believe for a person to be a hero he/she shoud be harmed by Woyane? HMMMMMMMMM.
I assume you were one of the woyane agents assigned to spy Aklilu and who went insane after reading his escape from this blog.
Again, my pathetic Ethiopians of the delusional, extremists, BORTCHAME Kitfo gugling 16 yr old prostitute visiting worthless extremists ethiopians. Calm down and see things for what they are. Notice how one side of the Bortchame, Zeraf Zeraf, Yazugne Likekugne, metahu be wello metahu be Somalia camp, accuse each other of being a WOYANE. Lidetu, Weyane, Beyene Petros, Weyane, CUDP in Parlaiment, Weyane, The temporary mayor of addis, Berhanu, a weyane, Berhane Mewa, a weyane, Andargatchew Tsige, a weyane, YOU ARE SO PATHETIC THAT IT IS A SHAME I SHARE THE SAME COUNTRY WITH SUCH INFIDELS.
he has nothing to cry about. all is out in the open. so he has to "defect". so what? will ethiopia be doomed cuz a bunch of layers defected for all sorts of reasons? thousands leave ethiopia everyday for a better life. just find a better news.
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Anonymous said...
PATRIOTIC-ETHIOPIAN ,
You are a Woyane! Get out of this ROOM ! Go to Aiga forum-that is where you belong!!!!!!!1
7:25 PM
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You pathetic, you may be WOYANE CADRE. I am a True-Patriotic-Ethiopian whose consern is primarily to all True-Patriotic-Ethiopians. If you are trying to tell me that I shouldn't generate even a slight crack about our organization I may consider your advise, but accusing me of serving WOYANE is NOT acceptable.
You are right I say so many things out of boundary, but by no means I can't accept the insult as being WOYANE CADRE. Those PARASITES are the ones that piss me off hard enough to give me the courage to stay one more day so I can fight them in everyway I can. I wish you take back what you said above. I am the most ANTI-TPLF WOYANE Ethiopian in DIASPORA. I am very angry with people who work with the TPLF WOYANE REGIME in Ethiopia today. Anyone that is working with TPLF WOYANE right at this moment is CONSIDERED A TRAITOR and should be disowned by all Ethiopians. That is the bottom line! While there so many young ethiopians who died in the name of DEMOCRACY we are fighting for the least we all can do is make sure their sacrifice is NOT in vain, the only way we can prove our commitment to them is thru dissociating ourseoves from anything TPLF WOYANE touched or toching. That include, serving in parliamant or in the military. I don't mind if people of TIGRE ORIGINS serve to defend TPLF WOYANE from crumbling, because they all have interest in TPLF's survival. But when I see people who are non-Tigre orgin working with TPLF WOYANE at any capacity makes me ill to my stomach.
PATRIOTIC-ETHIOPIAN
ENAT-ETHIOPIA TIKDEM!!!
TPLF WOYANE YIWDEM!!!
Weregna, Leflafe, Zemedochune resto le ethiopia asebalehu yemetelu Weslata bandawotche in d.c. natchehu. Bortchame, largely uneducated, very unsophisticated, mostly cab driving buffons, please, the world has left you behind, Ethiopia's glory days are yet to come. You, Shabiyah and the Jihadist will all dance to a tune known as--AGAZI!
that is a very "educated" comment above anonymous. very scholarly! Nobel anyone?
Patriotic Ethiopian - You may not be woyanne, but are no better than them. Ethiopia doesn't need people who think they can outdo Meles in the same dirty game he is playing.
Thanks for the update EZ.
Defect? How does a person who is in opposition to the government DEFECT. Who is he defecting from, KINIJIT? He could ask for Asylum, fearing persecution, but he can't defect cause he was never in the government camp in the first place.
I agree with the above anonymous. The correct term could have been like "escaped".
this blog is like emannuel hospital. crazy, crooked, wicked, twisted, perverted, etc ideas/news/gossip/fukera/kererto.
to the anonym above, did you defect from Amanuel Hospital:)
you can't defect from emmanuel hospital if you were not part of emmanuel hospital:)
I agree with anonymous, at least with the most angry anonymous of all anonymi, preceding this most anonymous critique in me.
Therefore like 'angry anonymous' , who is most likely my Eritrean ally here said.. these Hodam Nafxagna lawyers, asylum seeking migrants, are just that: ' modern day nafxagnas in black gowns', who lost ground- a ground that had never been theirs to begin with.
Why the hell after the fact do they yell "democracy" blah blah blah now.. when, only when, selectively on their part , nafxagna leaders are interned in 'alam baqagn' prisons in Oromia; but, obviusly not , as we all know, when tens of thousands of gallant Oromo democrats and nationalists , including civic org leaders, were hunted down like wild animals by the anbaxa-eating tigrees?
But now .. because It is tome for nafxagna's to be whiped in their big butts by the tigree agzees , amara nafxagnas , old and young, educated or uneducated lumpens like most here , are asking for help from every passerby .like a virgin girl who wails when a young man likev this writer is processing her file.
....clear enough, eh? Hey ,I 'm glad now that just like dergue of amara fascism , tigree fascists are, though belatedly, killing everyone including nafxagnas ; and Personally, I think It is only fair!
..... I'm not complaining now; In fact to the contrary, I would say let naxagnas disperse and seek asylum in europe ...even in the moon.
..By doing so, for sure , they are helping us liberate Oromia...inch by inch .
Longlive Orommuma!
brother you did a good job i wish you all the best to continue you struggel from outside
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