FILE- In this Thursday, March 17, 2016 file photo Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn speaks to The Associated Press at his office in the capital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In a surprise move, Ethiopia's leader on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2018, has announced plans to drop charges against political prisoners and close a notorious prison camp in what he calls an effort to "widen the democratic space for all". (AP Photo/Michael Tewelde, File)

FILE- In this Thursday, March 17, 2016 file photo Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn speaks to The Associated Press at his office in the capital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In a surprise move, Ethiopia's leader on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2018, has announced plans to drop charges against political prisoners and close a notorious prison camp in what he calls an effort to "widen the democratic space for all". (AP Photo/Michael Tewelde, File)

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Ethiopia’s government says comments by the prime minister on Wednesday that appeared to refer to the planned release of political prisoners instead referred to imprisoned politicians.

The Associated Press and other news organizations interpreted the remark to mean a wider population of people in prison, including opposition figures and journalists, as alleged political prisoners. But the government steadfastly denies that the East African nation has political prisoners.

Prime Minster Hailemariam Desalegn had been speaking in Amharic to local journalists. He also announced plans to close the notorious Maekelawi prison camp in what he called an effort to “widen the democratic space for all.”

His comments came after months of sometimes deadly anti-government protests in Ethiopia, the most serious since the current government came to power in 1991. The demonstrations engulfed much of the restive Oromia and Amhara regions and spread into other parts of the country, leading to a months-long state of emergency that has since been lifted.

It was not immediately clear how many such prisoners were being held across the country, a close U.S. security ally, or when they would be released.

Ethiopians were quick to respond, even with social media sites currently blocked.

“I’m writing you this struggling with my tears,” wrote renowned blogger and former detainee Befeqadu Hailu. “All these pledges need to be implemented immediately.”

Tens of thousands of people were arrested, and reportedly hundreds were killed, during the protests demanding wider freedoms that began in late 2015 and disrupted one of Africa’s fastest growing economies.

Ethiopia’s government has long been accused of arresting critical journalists and opposition leaders. Rights groups and opposition groups in Ethiopia had been calling for their release, saying they were arrested on trumped-up charges and punished for their points of view.

“Potentially big news,” Human Rights Watch researcher Felix Horne said on Twitter after the announcement, as some observers waited to see the government’s next move.

“Today’s announcement could signal the end of an era of bloody repression in Ethiopia,” Amnesty International researcher Fisseha Tekle said in a statement calling for prisoners’ immediate and unconditional release.

While the plans to close the Maekelawi camp are welcome, “the closure must not be used to whitewash the horrifying events that have taken place there,” Fisseha said. “For years, Maekelawi has essentially functioned as a torture chamber, used by the Ethiopian authorities to brutally interrogate anybody who dares to dissent including peaceful protesters, journalists and opposition figures.”</s>ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — In a surprise move, Ethiopia’s leader on Wednesday announced plans to drop charges against political prisoners and close a notorious prison camp in what he called an effort to “widen the democratic space for all.” This is the first time the government has acknowledged holding political prisoners.

Prime Minster Hailemariam Desalegn’s comments came after months of sometimes deadly anti-government protests, the most serious since the current government came to power in 1991. The demonstrations engulfed much of the restive Oromia and Amhara regions and spread into other parts of the East African country, leading to a months-long state of emergency that has since been lifted.

“Political prisoners that are facing prosecutions and are already under arrest will be released,” Hailemariam said. “And the notorious prison cell that was traditionally called Maekelawi will be closed down and turned into a museum.”

It was not immediately clear how many such prisoners were being held across the country, a close U.S. security ally, or when they would be released.

Ethiopians were quick to respond, even with social media sites currently blocked.

“I’m writing you this struggling with my tears,” wrote renowned blogger and former detainee Befeqadu Hailu. “All these pledges need to be implemented immediately.”

Tens of thousands of people were arrested, and reportedly hundreds were killed, during the protests demanding wider freedoms that began in late 2015 and disrupted one of Africa’s fastest growing economies.

As word spread Wednesday, Ethiopia’s government sought to downplay the prime minister’s announcement. A spokesman, Zadig Abraha, told The Associated Press that the country has no political prisoners and that “some members of political parties and other individuals that have been allegedly suspected of committing crimes and those convicted will be pardoned or their cases interrupted, based on an assessment that will be made.”

Rights groups and opposition groups in Ethiopia had been calling for the release of political prisoners, saying they were arrested on trumped-up charges and punished for their points of view. Ethiopia’s government has long been accused of arresting critical journalists and opposition leaders.

“Potentially big news,” Human Rights Watch researcher Felix Horne said on Twitter after the announcement, as some observers waited to see the government’s next move.

“In fact, there’s a clear difference between political prisoners and politicians in prison,” said Amha Mekonnen, a lawyer for well-known jailed politician Bekele Gerba. “But I believe those in detention are political prisoners. They were not arrested for stealing bed sheets but rather for allegedly crossing a red line while carrying out their political works.”

“Today’s announcement could signal the end of an era of bloody repression in Ethiopia,” Amnesty International researcher Fisseha Tekle said in a statement calling for prisoners’ immediate and unconditional release.

While the plans to close the Maekelawi camp are welcome, “the closure must not be used to whitewash the horrifying events that have taken place there,” Fisseha said. “For years, Maekelawi has essentially functioned as a torture chamber, used by the Ethiopian authorities to brutally interrogate anybody who dares to dissent including peaceful protesters, journalists and opposition figures.”</s>Ethiopia will drop charges against political prisoners and close a notorious prison camp following months of political unrest, news agency AP reported.

Prime Minster Hailemariam Desalegn confirmed the move on Wednesday, saying it was an effort to “widen the democratic space for all.”

“Political prisoners that are facing prosecutions and are already under arrest will be released,” Hailemariam said. “And the notorious prison cell that was traditionally called Maekelawi will be closed down and turned into a museum.”

This is the first time the government has acknowledged holding political prisoners.

Ethiopia has seen months of deadly anti-government protests, the most serious since the current administration came to power in 1991.

The restive regions of Oromia and Amhara were hardest hit by the demonstrations which eventually spread to other parts of the country, leading to a months-long state of emergency which has now been lifted.

Hundreds were killed and tens of thousands of people arrested during the protests which began in late 2015.

Human rights organisations in the Horn-of-Africa country have been calling for the release of political prisoners for months while reporting wide-spread abuses at Maekalawi.

Ethiopia’s government has attempted to downplay the prime minister’s announcement.

Spokesman, Zadig Abraha, insisted the country had no political prisoners and that “some members of political parties and other individuals that have been allegedly suspected of committing crimes and those convicted will be pardoned or their cases interrupted, based on an assessment that will be made.”

It remains unclear how many political prisoners are being held in the country or when they will be released.

For more news your way, follow The Citizen on Facebook and Twitter.</s>The Ethiopian government will drop charges against political prisoners and close a notorious prison camp in a bid to ‘widen the democratic space for all.’

The announcement made by Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn comes after days of consultations within the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition.

Addressing a joint press briefing with other chairpersons of the EPRDF’s member parties, Desalegn said the Mae’kelawi prison would be converted into a museum, and added that a new center has been established to replace Ma’ekelawi based on the national parliament’s guidelines on human rights and international standards.

“Political prisoners that are facing prosecutions and are already under arrest will be released,” Hailemariam said. “And the notorious prison cell that was traditionally called Maekelawi will be closed down and turned into a museum.”

The Prime Minister said charges will be dropped for all “political prisoners” who are currently under prosecution and pardons will be issued to all who have already been convicted and are serving their sentences in order to create the space for a national dialogue and national consensus.

Rights groups and opposition groups in Ethiopia had been calling for the release of political prisoners, saying they were arrested on trumped-up charges and were being punished for their points of view.

Ethiopia’s government has long been accused of arresting critical journalists and opposition leaders.

Some of the prominent politicians currently in custody include opposition leaders Bekele Gerba and Merara Gudina. A number of journalists also remain in detention.

An independent task force has also been set up to investigate human rights abuses and the handling of prisoners.

Ethiopia has faced more than two years of anti-government protests with demonstrators calling for political and economic reforms, which prompted a crackdown and thousands of arrests.</s>ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — In a surprise move, Ethiopia’s leader on Wednesday announced plans to drop charges against political prisoners and close a notorious prison camp in what he called an effort to “widen the democratic space for all.” This is the first time the government has acknowledged holding political prisoners.

Prime Minster Hailemariam Desalegn’s comments came after anti-government protests engulfed much of the restive Oromia and Amhara regions in recent months, bringing many businesses, universities and transport networks to a standstill. The sometimes deadly protests, the most serious since the current government came to power in 1991, spread into other parts of the East African country, leading to a months-long state of emergency that has since been lifted.

“Political prisoners that are facing prosecutions and are already under arrest will be released,” Hailemariam said. “And the notorious prison cell that was traditionally called Maekelawi will be closed down and turned into a museum.”

It was not immediately clear how many political prisoners were being held across the country, a close U.S. security ally.

Ethiopians were quick to respond, even with social media sites currently blocked.

“I’m writing you this struggling with my tears,” wrote renowned blogger and former detainee Befeqadu Hailu. “All these pledges need to be implemented immediately.”

Rights groups and opposition groups in Ethiopia had been calling for the release of political prisoners, saying they were arrested on trumped-up charges and were being punished for their points of view. Ethiopia’s government has long been accused of arresting critical journalists and opposition leaders.

Some of the prominent politicians currently in custody include opposition leaders Bekele Gerba and Merara Gudina. A number of journalists also remain in detention.

The months of protests demanding wider freedoms began in late 2015 and led to hundreds of reported deaths and tens of thousands of arrests while disrupting one of Africa’s fastest growing economies.

“The crackdown on the political opposition saw mass arbitrary arrests, torture and other ill-treatment, unfair trials and violations of the rights to freedom of expression and association,” rights group Amnesty International has said.</s>ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA—In a surprise move, Ethiopia’s leader on Wednesday announced plans to drop charges against political prisoners and close a notorious prison camp in what he called an effort to “widen the democratic space for all.” This is the first time the government has acknowledged holding political prisoners.

Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn’s comments came after anti-government protests engulfed much of the restive Oromia and Amhara regions in recent months, bringing many businesses, universities and transport networks to a standstill. The sometimes deadly protests, the most serious since the current government came to power in 1991, spread into other parts of the East African country, leading to a months-long state of emergency that has since been lifted.

“Political prisoners that are facing prosecutions and are already under arrest will be released,” Hailemariam said. “And the notorious prison cell that was traditionally called Maekelawi will be closed down and turned into a museum.”

Ethiopians were quick to respond, even with social media sites currently blocked.

“I’m writing you this struggling with my tears,” wrote renowned blogger and former detainee Befeqadu Hailu. “All these pledges need to be implemented immediately.”</s>ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Ethiopia's leader has announced plans to drop charges against political prisoners and close a notorious prison camp in what he calls an effort to "widen the democratic space for all."

Prime Minster Hailemariam Desalegn's surprise comments on Wednesday came after anti-government protests engulfed much of the restive Oromia and Amhara regions in recent months, affecting businesses and transport networks.

"Political prisoners that are facing prosecutions and are already under arrest will be released," Hailemariam said. "And the notorious prison cell that was traditionally called Maekelawi will be closed down and turned into a museum."

Ethiopians were quick to respond, even with social media sites currently blocked.

"I'm writing you this struggling with my tears," wrote renowned blogger and former detainee Befeqadu Hailu. "All these pledges need to be implemented immediately."</s>Ethiopia's leader has announced plans to drop charges against political prisoners and close a notorious prison camp in what he calls an effort to "widen the democratic space for all".

Ethiopia's leader has announced plans to drop charges against political prisoners and close a notorious prison camp in what he calls an effort to "widen the democratic space for all".

Ethiopia to release all political prisoners and close notorious jail

Prime Minster Hailemariam Desalegn's surprise comments came after anti-government protests engulfed much of the Oromia and Amhara regions in recent months, affecting businesses and transport networks.

Mr Hailemariam said: "Political prisoners that are facing prosecutions and are already under arrest will be released. "And the notorious prison cell that was traditionally called Maekelawi will be closed down and turned into a museum."

Ethiopians were quick to respond on social media. "I'm writing you this struggling with my tears," wrote renowned blogger and former detainee Befeqadu Hailu.

"All these pledges need to be implemented immediately." Rights groups and opposition leaders in Ethiopia have been calling for the release of political prisoners, claiming they were arrested on bogus charges and were being punished for their points of view.

Ethiopia's government has long been accused of arresting critical journalists and opposition leaders. Some of the prominent politicians currently in custody include opposition leaders Bekele Gerba and Merara Gudina.

Months of protests demanding wider freedoms began in late 2015 and led to hundreds of reported deaths and tens of thousands of arrests, disrupting one of Africa's fastest-growing economies. The protests also caused the displacement of an estimated one million people.

Amnesty International said: "The crackdown on the political opposition saw mass arbitrary arrests, torture and other ill-treatment, unfair trials and violations of the rights to freedom of expression and association."</s>Ethiopians feel more accepted in Turkey than in Europe

In a surprise move, Ethiopia's leader on Wednesday announced plans to drop charges against political prisoners and close a notorious prison camp in what he called an effort to "widen the democratic space for all." This is the first time the government has acknowledged holding political prisoners.

Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn's comments came after anti-government protests engulfed much of the restive Oromia and Amhara regions in recent months, bringing many businesses, universities and transport networks to a standstill. The sometimes deadly protests, the most serious since the current government came to power in 1991, spread into other parts of the East African country, leading to a months-long state of emergency that has since been lifted.

"Political prisoners that are facing prosecutions and are already under arrest will be released," Hailemariam said. "And the notorious prison cell that was traditionally called Maekelawi will be closed down and turned into a museum."

The statement came after the ruling coalition finished a marathon meeting that lasted 18 days.

It was not immediately clear how many political prisoners were being held across the country, a close U.S. security ally.

Ethiopians were quick to respond, even with social media sites currently blocked.

"I'm writing you this struggling with my tears," wrote renowned blogger and former detainee Befeqadu Hailu. "All these pledges need to be implemented immediately."

Rights groups and opposition groups in Ethiopia had been calling for the release of political prisoners, saying they were arrested on trumped-up charges and were being punished for their points of view.

Local and foreign business, universities and transport networks came to a standstill in many parts of the country due to the violent protests, which saw one of the nation's most serious ethnic clashes, between the Oromo and Ethiopian Somali ethnic groups.

Some of the prominent politicians currently in custody include opposition leaders Bekele Gerba and Merara Gudina. A number of journalists also remain in detention.

The months of protests demanding wider freedoms began in late 2015 and led to hundreds of reported deaths and tens of thousands of arrests while disrupting one of Africa's fastest growing economies.

"The crackdown on the political opposition saw mass arbitrary arrests, torture and other ill-treatment, unfair trials and violations of the rights to freedom of expression and association," rights group Amnesty International has said.

Ethiopia's opposition and human rights groups have been accusing the government of violating human rights.

Until Wednesday, the Ethiopian government had denied having political prisoners.</s>Ethiopia's prime minister has announced that the country will free all of its political prisoners, pardon them and close a notorious prison.

It's a surprising turnaround for a government that has launched a sweeping crackdown on dissent and had not previously admitted that it is even holding political prisoners.

"Political prisoners that are facing prosecutions and are already under arrest will be released," Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said at a press conference, according to The Associated Press. "And the notorious prison cell that was traditionally called Maekelawi will be closed down and turned into a museum."

He added that the goal is to "foster national reconciliation."

Ethiopia has seen large popular protests for more than two years that showed no sign of stopping, despite hundreds killed and thousands of arrests. The demonstrations began in 2015, initially to protest government development plans near the capital, Addis Ababa.

Their scope later widened to protest corruption. Central to the demonstrations are the Oromo and Amhara communities, as NPR has reported, which make up a majority of the Ethiopian population but say they are marginalized politically.

Defense Minister Siraj Fegessa said in August that more than 29,000 people were arrested during a 10-month state of emergency that ended that month, Reuters reported. Protests continued after the state of emergency was lifted.

Hailemariam's announcement Wednesday came after marathon meetings with the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front coalition. It's not clear who will be released from prison or when that will happen.

Activists and rights groups welcome the move but remain skeptical about whether the government will go through with it. They say the detainees should never have been arrested and are being targeted for their political beliefs.

Amnesty International's Fisseha Tekle said the announcement could "signal the end of an era of bloody repression in Ethiopia."

Tekle says that for years, the Maekelawi detention center "essentially functioned as a torture chamber, used by the Ethiopian authorities to brutally interrogate anybody who dares to dissent including peaceful protestors, journalists and opposition figures."

And in an interview with NPR, Tekle adds that the Ethiopian government is faced with a choice: "My wishful thinking is that there will be reform because through [the] hard way, through crisis and through unrest, the Ethiopian government ... has learned that repression is not going to work in Ethiopia."



Ethiopia's prime minister started the new year with a surprise. He announced that the government would release all political prisoners and also close a notorious prison. The move follows years of political unrest in the Horn of Africa nation. NPR's East Africa correspondent Eyder Peralta is following this story from his base in Nairobi. Eyder, what did the prime minister say exactly?

EYDER PERALTA, BYLINE: This happened after the prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, met with the ruling party. He called a press conference, and he dropped a big bombshell. He said that political prisoners would be pardoned and released and that they would close a notorious prison. The prime minister says that this will be done for the sake of, quote, "national reconciliation." And basically he thinks that this should spark some kind of national dialogue.

The unspoken part of this of course is that Ethiopia has seen some serious unrest for more than two years now. The country has seen constant protests, and the government has responded with a really heavy hand. For ten months, they declared a state of emergency, and when that ended last summer, the government said they had made more than 20,000 arrests.

SIEGEL: And you speak of the prison that's to be closed as being notorious. How so?

PERALTA: Yeah, so that's the Maekelawi prison. And it's essentially by all accounts a torture chamber. Journalists and opposition figures have been held there. But mostly that prison is a symbol of Ethiopia's long history of oppression. It goes back to imperial times. So the closing of it is a big deal. It's a symbolic big deal.

SIEGEL: What do you make of the timing? Why did the prime minister make this announcement in his new year's address?

PERALTA: It comes after a long period of protests. Most of the 20,000 people who were arrested have been released. According to estimates from human rights groups, more than a thousand of them were charged with terrorism. And one of the things that's important to understand is that Ethiopia has global ambitions. The government is trying to build a middle-income country. And it has made some strides, but these protests have really put a strain on those plans because they haven't stopped.

Another thing is that they've taken an ethnic tone. The Oromos, who are the majority in that country, started expressing disillusionment with never having had the presidency. And the Amharas, who used to hold power in the country, joined in as these protests went on with some of the same sentiments - that they felt left out of the prosperity of the country. So this became a very serious situation for a government that has a long history of repression. It was serious because two of the country's biggest tribes had essentially turned against it.

SIEGEL: From what you've heard from people in Ethiopia today, are the prime minister's words being greeted as a new beginning, or are they skeptical of what they've heard?

PERALTA: There is a ton of skepticism. A lot of activists on social media have expressed deep, deep skepticism. One of them said that this was a small step in the right direction, but he said it needed to be implemented immediately and without any conditions.

SIEGEL: One of the questions is, I gather, it's not clear who exactly a political prisoner is and as to when they might be released or when the prison might be shut down. Did the prime minister say?

PERALTA: That's right. The prime minister did not define who is a political prisoner. He did say that the prison will be turned into a museum but gave no timeline for that.

SIEGEL: NPR's Eyder Peralta talking about the announced closure of one of Ethiopia's most notorious prisons - Eyder, thanks.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn announces that Ethiopia will drop charges against all political prisoners and close down the infamous prison camp of Maekelawi.