Ethiopia: Court to rule on Dr. Merera’s objection in June

ESAT News (May 5, 2016)

A court in Addis Ababa has been adjourned till june 2, 2017 to pass verdict on Dr. Merera Gudina’s objection to charges of terrorism brought by regime prosecutors.

Chairman of the Oromo Federalist Congress and a prominent opposition figure, Dr. Merera was arrested in December upon his return from Brussels where he testified against the human rights violations by the Ethiopian regime at the European Parliament.

Upon his return security forces took him to custody and the court denied him bail.

He presented an 11 page argument last month against the charges by the regime. Dr. Merera said his trip to Belgium and the subsequent speeches he gave at the European Parliament should not be reasons to his arrest and detention by the regime.

He said his trip has nothing to do with trespassing the state of emergency, which is one of the charges brought by regime prosecutors.

Regime authorities use the martial law as an excuse to arrest and intimidate dissents.

Dr. Merera denied charges that interviews he gave to Ethiopian independent media abroad were terrorism. Regime prosecutors say his interviews have sparked the uprising in the Oromo region last year.

Regime prosecutors accused that Merera and co defendants have acted to overthrow the “constitutionally formed government.”