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Monday, July 09, 2007

Human Rights Activist and Businessman Charged of Attempting to Overthrow the Ethiopian Government

(By Meqdela)
The prominent human rights activist Yalemzewd Bekele and top businessman Alemayehu Fantu have been charged of attempting to overthrow the existing Ethiopian government. The two were both arrested by the Federal police last October for disseminating the civil disobedience calendar which calls for non-violent actions from the citizenry until imprisoned political leaders are freed. EZ Post reported that Alemayehu Fantu was tortured then.

The charge was filed by the prosecutor last week. The defendants were due in court today. In the charge the prosecutor alleged that Yalemzewd Bekele and Alemayehu Fantu, jointly and severally, with the intention to dismantle the constitution through violence, and to obstruct the exercise of constitutional powers, having fully participated directly and indirectly in criminal act and consequences thereof, had designed and printed a calendar which lists 14 forms of struggle under the title ""I will fight for the release of our leaders, will you?", and had attempted to overthrow the government in power, to obstruct its functions,to disturb the authorities, and impede their functions, by creating in them fear, insecurity, and lack of self-confidence, and especially, to destroy the economy.

The charge entails fifteen years imprisonment. Yalemzewd was this year's nominee for the Bindman's Law and Campaigning Award for her projects relating to civil society and women's rights. Alemayehu is one of the most respected businessmen in Addis Ababa.

See Today's court proceeding on the case of Hailu Shawel et al below.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Areg be hig amlak!

Anonymous said...

People know this.
all this shows how this regime frustrated.This is just to harass people from possible protest.The cardinal strategy of Dictators.
Let us move.
move.
move.
ebakachihu

Anonymous said...

Gebru from Awassa:

It is numbered. You will see the NEW Ethiopia free of dictators soon very soon. The elected leaders will led our people out of disaster. These fugitive Meles & Co. beleieve me will have their day in court and it will be a just court.
ETHIOPIA BE HAPPY. YOU ARE NURTURING MORE THAN 110 Mandela` in KALITY.

Anonymous said...

mot le ethiopia hezeb

Anonymous said...

I heard they fined Serkalem 500 million birr, crazy people.

Anonymous said...

Are yu mad or on something?
Mot is mot when you lost all your hopes, yawim yekum mot.
Andarge

Anonymous said...

Melles is in the process of exiling the CUD leaders out of politics. If they signed the sham letter from the good Prof. Issac-- it will be a double jeoperdy. It will be a double win for Melles Zenawi. 1. They are out of politics 2. They took the responsiblty for all the massacre post election saga. What a lose for the Ethiopian people.

Anonymous said...

The EU was supposed to protect Yalemzewd, but they too failed to protect their own employee. I am not sure it if our country become like Iraq, and the insurgents are TPLF they kill anyone they find to be a threat. The EU continue to help Meles with cash flow to continue his regn in power with impunity.

This is a disgrace, Fantu is a businessman who was supposed to be making money instead of held back by TPLF in a bid to disrupt his business.

Anonymous said...

In vain we look for a relief of any sort from any source other than from the Lord;God want to deliver,and lift the mourning off the face of our people long ago.Alas! are we to permit God to guide us! This generation is destitude of faith,principle,and patriotic sentment.We told the most high arrogantly ,we don't need your help:We will use our expertise,skill,and bravery to free our people.He will see to it our weapon of pride ,empty self confidence be turned in to a tool of straw until the proud learn this leason:;whether we know it or not no matter how often we bow down before the human gods,our experiance has been just that:disappointment,and humilation.The spirit of this age is to worship self and not God;truly such a life is vain glory,whose end leads to infamy.

Now let us leave C.U.D for those who chose to persue peacful struggle.I call the people from Gonder,Wello,Gojjam,Shewa and the rest of Ethiopia to come to our senses.Let us hold face to face meetings/conferences where ever we are in every city;eventually working towards state,until such time comes ,we are under a national entity:to prepare our people for active resistance.
IT IS WAY OVER DUE WE BE WILLING TO BE ACCOUNTABLE BY COMMITING TO THE CAUSE OF ETHIOPIA:WE NEED TO BE HOLD TO THE ABOVE STANDARDS through a face to face conference/meeting,there is no any better place to start except in our neck of the wood:it may not sound politically correct,but surely it will work:It is the only antidote against the current settled indeference,of the diaspora politics.
Why wait for any thing,make telephone calls in your city and arrange this meetings.There will be more in this lines of thought in the comming days.Lift up your head,have faith in Him,believe when we stand together there is nothing to stop us.

Anonymous said...

I think today's God has decided to serve only TPLF, So leave him out of it. What Ethiopia needs is a courageous patriots to fight for freedom for the people. You can be a freedom fighter too, all you have to do is believe in Ethiopia and in yourself then raise arms and fight the enemy of Ethiopia, TPLF.

Anonymous said...

i prepare a comp in tanzania pls come and join me so we can start the fight or shut up to the paltalk(computer gegnoch)

Anonymous said...

How many of you know that Sheik Alamoudin of midroc's mother is a tigraian from Axum. Actaully, she belong to the minority moslems in Axum and was forced to migrate to Woldia (Amhara) region. Alamoudin & his family were welcomed by the Amharas and have all comfort of equality among various ethnic groups and religions. However as he (Alamoudin) is originated in the curse land he has gone back to his origin to support TPLF so that together they can suck every resource the country has got. Meles & co. are committed in a long term investment to develop Tigray on the cost the rest of Ethiopia. They will do what ever possible to remain in power at least for the next 50 years or until Ethiopians woke up from their sleep or else....
Abay

Anonymous said...

I 'm beginnng to see frustrations all around.When did we start a real organizd struggle against TPLF?CUD led an election campaign to remove a regime bitterly opposed by its people.CUD didn't organize itself to fight a system that would kill a mother in front of her children when its power to
rule is threatened.Let us get organized accordingly.We are faced with a bunch of killers and liers!
The peaceful struggle can look bleak.But that is our only way for Ethiopia's salvation.Let us get oranized.Then our power will be almighty!