by Engidu Woldie
ESAT News (February 13, 2018)
A prominent journalist and an opposition leader will walk free on Wednesday as pressure mounts against a regime that holds thousands of dissidents in its notorious jails.
Eskinder Nega, Andualem Arage and 746 political prisoners are to be released tomorrow, according to a regime controlled news agency in Addis Ababa.
Andualem Arage (left) and Eskinder Nega,
The duo were among the over 700 other prisoners of conscience who were “pardoned” last week and were expected to walk free. Nega and Arage have reportedly refused to sign forced confessions last week in return for their freedom. Hence, many in the Ethiopian community say they would believe the news when they actually see the two on the other side of the bar.
The news came on the day Bekele Gerba and six others leading members of the Oromo Federalist Congress were released.
Eskinder Nega, an award winning journalist and Andualem Arage, a leading member of the now defunct opposition party, Andenet have been jailed for over six years accused of being members of an opposition group outlawed by the dictatorship and of “terrorism”.