Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Sad day for Ethiopia

The long awaited trial of our beloved leaders comes to an unbelievable stage.

The court ruled against the twenty-two central committee members of CUD guilty as charged and should defend their case. The ruling for the remaining defendants shall continue tomorrow.

The court not only accepted and approved the prosecuter produced enough evidence to make the leaders guilty but it also amended to an additional charge in which the prosecuter didn't submit - a charge for making a strike ("Adma"). The judge was stressing that eventhough the prosecuter didn't charge them on this case, the court shall annex it in their charge. Welcome to Ethiopia. If a prosecutor misses a charge, the judge shall help him.

List of those charged are:

Abayneh Berhanu
Andualem Aragie
Aschalew Ketema
Assefa Habteweld
Befekadu Degefie
Berhanu Nega
Birtukan Mideksa
Brook Kebede
Debebe Eshetu
Gebretsadik Hailemariam
Getachew Mengiste
Gizachew Shiferaw
Hailu Araya
Hailu Shawel
Mesfin Aman
Muluneh Eyuel
Nigist Gebrehiwot
Sileshi Tena
Tadios Bogale
Tamrat Tarekegn
Yacob Hailemariam
Yeneneh Mulat

So, what is it going to be Ethiopia? We all know Zenawi is not going to hang the leaders.
My fear is looks like he has decided to do what he has always has been good at.

Zenawi never killed anyone who is sentenced to death through a court process (one exception is the Hayelom case). He just makes the ruling and tries to make their life shorter by languishing them in jail.