This proclamation may be cited as the anti terrorism proclamation no. From march 2011 to december 2011 at least 108 opposition party members and six journalists were arrested in ethiopia for alleged involvement with various proscribed terrorist groups. In the wake of the 11 september 2001 attacks in the united states u. Refworld is the leading source of information necessary for taking quality decisions on refugee status. Federal attorneygeneral birhanu tsegaye, deflected questions about possibly removing the anti terrorism law from the books during a press conference held at his office on friday. The provisions of this law that impact freedom of expression are discussed in this article. They say, you must have been involved in something that got you suspected of terrorism. The united states remains deeply concerned about the trial, conviction, and sentencing of ethiopian journalist eskinder nega, as well as seven political opposition figures, under the countrys antiterrorism proclamation. Leader, and a fifth person under an antiterrorism law. Ethiopia approves new antiterrorism law consisting of.
Analysis of ethiopias draft antiterrorism proclamation. Breaking ethiopia charges prominent opposition member. What influence has ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation got on the right to. Whereas, terrorism is a danger to the peace, security and development of the country and a serious threat. The government used the similarly repressive 2009 anti terrorism proclamation s broad provisions as the basis to arrest, detain, and prosecute scores of journalists and political opposition. Whereas, money laundering and financing of terrorism not only threaten security but also compromise the stability, transparency soundness and efficiency of the financial system. The law was developed to fill the gaps in the previous anti terrorism proclamation no. The most recent basis for punishment of journalists and media are the anti terrorism proclamation, the freedom of the mass media and access to information proclamation no. A tool to stifle dissent, authored by lawyers from leading international law firms, provides an indepth and damning analysis of ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation. It analyses the level of compliance with the financial. Refworld contains a vast collection of reports relating to situations in countries of origin, policy documents and positions, and documents relating to international and national legal frameworks.
Analysis of ethiopias draft antiterrorism law human. According to an office publication removing the nations most controversial proclamation, placing a more watered down version in the regular criminal code and amending the law are all under consideration. Prosecutors have today charged 22 individuals, including prominent opposition member bekele gerba pictured, first secretary general of the opposition oromo federalist congress ofc, with various articles of ethiopia s much criticized anti terrorism proclamation atp. This diktat approved on a 28691 vote of the rubberstamp parliament is so arbitrary and. Esat news january 18, 2018 ethiopia s ruling party says changes would not be made to the draconian anti terrorism proclamation atp, let alone scrapping the law altogether.
The law gives leeway to criminalize innocent acts of individuals who are critical of government policies. Antimoney laundering and combating the financing of. Amnesty international, human rights watch, committee to protect journalists cpj, all have openly criticized ethiopia for adopting the anti terrorism proclamation. Whereas, the right of the people to live in peace, freedom and security has to be protected, at all times, from the threat of terrorism. Ethiopian anti terrorism law pdf counter terrorism.
Mahlet fasil addis abeba, march 62017 as fresh terrorism charges against several individuals surge following the yearlong public protests that led to the current state of emergency, prosecutors in ethiopia have today charged a group of 76 individuals with various articles of ethiopia s infamous anti terrorism proclamation atp. The impact of ethiopia s antiterrorism law on freedom of expression conference paper pdf available in ssrn electronic journal may 2017 with 4,203 reads how we measure reads. This report provides a summary of the anti money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism amlcft measures in place in the federal democratic republic of ethiopia as of the date of the onsite visit from april 7 17, 2014. Article 19 comments on anti terrorism proclamation article 19 today issues its analysis of the ethiopian anti terrorism proclamation 2009 and calls for the government to fully recognise the right to freedom of expression under international and regional human rights law. This paper analyses ethiopia s draft antiterrorism proclamation the draft proclamation and assesses to what extent the proposed law on its face conforms to international human rights. Some points on the ethiopian anti terrorism law from human rights perspective. On wednesday 17 july 20, members of the european parliaments subcommittee on human rights visited ethiopia and urged the government to release journalists and opposition activists imprisoned under the countrys anti terrorism proclamation no. This regulation is issued by the council of ministers pursuant to article 34 of the definition of powers and duties of the executive organs of the federal democratic republic of ethiopia proclamation no. Whereas, terrorism is a danger to the peace, security and development of the country and a serious threat to the peace and security of the world at large. The information has been carefully selected and compiled from unhcrs global network of field. The detainees had been charged with crimes under the anti terrorism proclamation and the criminal code. Freedom of expression and the ethiopian antiterrorism.
The australian anti terrorism law, one of the legislation said to have been used as a basis for the ethiopian anti terrorism proclamation. Open request on ethiopia antiterrorism law, proclamation 6522009 united nations secretary general, his excellency ban kimoon prime minster of ethiopia, au chair person his excellency hilemariam desalgne president of ethiopia, his excellency girma woldegiorgis african union commissioner chairperson, his excellency dr nkosazana dlamini zuma. The law would help ethiopia to avert and control terrorism, defend the country from threats of terrorism on the top of sustaining peace and security. This article is the right of thought, opinion and expression. An examination of ethiopias anti terrorism proclamation. Whereas, money laundering and the financing of terrorism as it not only threaten security, but also compromise the stability, transparency, soundness and efficiency of the financial system. Terrorism by anti terrorism law lately, meles zenawi, the dictator in ethiopia, has been rounding up dissidents, journalists, opposition party political leaders and members under a diktat known as antiterrorism proclamation no. It was also noted that the revised bill would enable to bridge the gaps in the preceding anti terrorism proclamation no. The identity of those suspected for terrorism and arrested based on the law also gave this institutions a reason to take ethiopia a regular destination for their condemnations. Ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation and the right to. On december 21 the ethiopian federal high court convicted two swedish journalists on charges of support to. Proclamation on anti terrorism, published in the federal negarit gazeta of the federal republic of ethiopia on 28 august 2009 proclamation against international standards on freedom of expression. Definitions in this proclamation, unless the context otherwise requires.
The proclamation was adopted on 7 july 2009 and came into force upon its publication in the federal negarit gazeta of the federal democratic republic of ethiopia official gazette 15th year no. Antiterrorism proclamation could be rescinded capital. Analysis of ethiopia s draft anti terrorism proclamation march 9, 2009 summary this paper analyses ethiopia s draft anti terrorism proclamation the draft proclamation and assesses to what extent the proposed law on its face conforms to international human rights standards. As a living victim of misuse of the anti terrorism proclamation atp in ethiopia, i face a heartbreaking judgement oftentimes from ordinary citizens who knew that i was once charged of the atp. Obama has expressed keen interest in learning from ethiopia s counterterrorism and counterinsurgency strategies. The report examines how the law, enacted in 2009, is a tool of repression, designed and used by the ethiopian government to silence its critics.
The ethiopian constitution states that all persons have basic human rights including. Ethiopias antiterrorism proclamation and the right to freedom of expression. It criminalizes indirect encouragement to the preparation, instigation and. The anti terrorism proclamation of ethiopia has a farreaching effect on human rights, such as freedom of expression. Part one general part two terrorism and related crimes part three preventive and investigative measures part four evidentiary and procedural rules part five measures to control terrorist organizations and property part six institutions that. According to the government, the new law was drafted by the federal attorneygeneral office of ethiopia to protect the peace and security of the people and the government from the threats of terrorism.
The security council had not in the beginning preempted the risk of counter terrorism measures violating counter terrorism human rights as it failed to immediately refer to states. Ethiopia s highly controversial anti terrorism law, proclamation no. The proclamation has been used by the regime to charge and imprison opposition party members, journalists and dissidents who criticise the regime or exercise their. How much do you know about misuse of ethiopias anti. Introduction country overview the federal democratic republic of ethiopia ethiopia is located in the horn of africa and shares borders with eritrea, djibouti, somalia, sudan, south sudan, and kenya.
Open request on ethiopia antiterrorism law, proclamation. The provisions of ethiopias draft antiterrorism proclamation can be broadly grouped under the following categories. Ethiopia financial action task force on money laundering. Addis standard could not obtain details of the charges as of yet. The use of ethiopia s anti terrorism proclamation to arbitrarily arrest journalists is completely out of step with reforms witnessed in the country, said seif magango, amnesty internationals deputy director for east africa, the horn and the great lakes. Terrorism proclamation antiterror law have severely undermined civil society and. Ethiopian anti terrorism law pdf free download as pdf file.
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