ESAT News (January 11, 2018) Ethiopian courts, seen by many as instruments of the oppressive regime, have continued handing down prison terms to dissidents who insist terrorism charges brought against them were politically motivated. A court in Addis Ababa today sentenced thirty-three defendants to prison terms ranging from 15 to 18 years for allegedly being members and supporters of an ...

Debretsion Gebremichael, TPLF’s new chairman and deputy administrator of the Tigray region, has been exposed for misusing work related travel opportunities and public funds to pay for prostitutes and escorts in cities across the globe, according to an investigative report by ESAT’s Abebe Gellaw. A cache of digital evidence including emails also shows that the new TPLF leader also spends ...

ESAT News (January 10, 2018) Ethiopian regime prosecutors brought “treason” and “terrorism” charges against political opponents a week after the Prime Minister promised to release political prisoners to bring what he called “national consensus” and “broaden the political space.” Five soldiers in Eastern Ethiopia were accused of recruiting members of the army to join the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) an ...

ESAT News (January 9, 2018) The announcement by Ethiopian regime authorities that they would investigate and crackdown on Qero, a network of youth in the country’s restive Oromo region that is behind the anti-TPLF protest for over two years, has drawn backlash from Oromo political leaders and activists. Reports show that the TPLF regime, through its security apparatus that is ...

ESAT News (January 8, 2018) An Ethiopian born Swedish cardiologist who was jailed in Ethiopia in a politically motivated charge told a court in Addis Ababa that 20 of his patients have died because authorities would not allow him to see his patients. Dr. Fikru Maru had repeatedly said he was willing to treat his patients if authorities would allow ...

ESAT News (January 8, 2018) Two members of the Swedish Parliament said their government should demand and hold the Ethiopian regime accountable for the various human rights violations in the country. Anders Österberg and Maria Andersson Willner both members of the Foreign Affairs Committee said in an opinion published in the Swedish media that “the violations of human rights in ...

ESAT News (January 5, 2018) Two days after Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, said Ma’ekelawi detention center was used by the former marxist regime but not his government to torture opponents, a political prisoner asked a court in Addis Ababa today to show scars of torture on his body. But he was prevented by a judge, who sarcastically told the ...

ESAT News (January 5, 2018) Some 14,000 children might have been separated from their families in ethnic clashes in Eastern Ethiopia over the past year, UNICEF said on Friday. Ethnic clashes between the Oromo and Somali communities along their border and attack by TPLF army in Eastern Ethiopia in past months have resulted in the death of hundreds of people ...

ESAT News (January 4, 2018) Ethiopian regime’s promise to release political prisoners & close a notorious jail is meaningless without political freedoms, the Oakland Institute said today. “For years, while donor countries like the US have turned a blind eye, thousands of Ethiopians have languished behind bars simply for speaking up against so-called development policies and related human rights abuses, ...

ESAT News (January 3, 2018) Protests have continued today in a number of towns and villages in the country’s Oromo region despite an announcement by the regime that some political prisoners would be freed. Tensions remained high in West Arsi and West Shewa with protesters denouncing the regime from Shashemene to Kofele and Arsi Kokosa. Clashes with security forces have ...