Many political prisoners are still locked up in Ethiopia in the wake of the appointment of a new prime minister, Abiy Ahmed a month ago. Two members of the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC) who remain behind bars under dubious circumstances were sentenced this week. The OFC youth league leader Dereje Merga, who was arrested in December 2015, along with Bekele Gerba on charges of inciting violence was convicted and sentenced to four years imprisonment on May 2 by the Federal High Court. While the 21 defendants among the 22 in the file name of Gurmesa Ayano were released from detention on mid-February, Dereje was still being held. He was also convicted and sentenced to seven months’ imprisonment a week ago for what the court described a contempt offense. Dereje has alleged repeated severe beatings while in detention. According to the Ethiopian Human Rights Project report on February 17, Dereje told a court in Addis Ababa his hands and legs were cuffed the whole day and tied with the bed in the night. “The handcuff rusted on his hands subsequent to it is locked in his hands for several days, it became very difficult for the warders to unchain it before he enter the courtroom. He showed his handcuffed hands before the court. Even though the judges ordered to unchain him immediately the warders explained to the court it will not be unlocked unless it is hack sawed,” the report reads.
Dereje is also part of the 36 prisoners called to the court repeatedly in connection with charges of a fire that killed dozens of fellow inmates in September 2016, his lawyer Wondimu Ibsa told VOA Amharic. On the other hand, Tuji Barento from Dire Dawa and member OFC was sentenced to eleven years on May 2.
Some 750 prisoners involved in a series of protests since 2016 were pardoned on February 2018 with a promise by the government to free others. Among those freed was Bekele Gereba, a senior opposition leader. Despite several promises of change and reform, critics says the Ethiopia regime continue its heavy clampdown on political dissidents and pro-democracy activists in the country.