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 Proclamation has been used by the regime to charge and imprison opposition party members, journalists and dissidents who criticise the regime or exercise their basic freedom of expression.
The announcement was made at an ongoing discussion between TPLF/EPRDF and a group of local opposition parties, according to the state controlled broadcaster.
Although there are claims by critics that the local opposition were trojan horses created by the TPLF, reports are that they have requested that some of the articles in the oppressive law to be a change. The response from the TPLF/EPRDF was that not even a single article would be touched.
The ATP and the Charities and Societies Proclamation are two among a number of restrictive laws promulgated by the regime that have come under criticism by Ethiopians and the international community.
The laws have been used by the regime to target the opposition and critics. Opposition political leaders and journalist now in jail have been charged under the ATP.