BBC
June 11, 2007
A court in Ethiopia has found 38 senior opposition figures guilty of charges connected to mass protests after disputed elections two years ago.
The charges ranged from armed rebellion to “outrage against the constitution”.
Sentencing is next month and they could face the death penalty, says the BBC’s Elizabeth Blunt in Ethiopia.
Hundreds of thousands took part in demonstrations complaining of fraud and vote-rigging by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s government in the 2005 polls.
Almost 200 people died in two waves of protests.
The opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy blamed the deaths on the security forces but Mr Meles accused the opposition of starting the violent protests.
His government also points out that it introduced multi-party elections to Ethiopia after years of military rule.
In the elections, the opposition made huge gains but says it was cheated out of victory.
Two months ago a judge threw out controversial charges of attempted genocide and treason against 111 people arrested after the election protests.
The violence and the charges of election fraud have tarnished Mr Meles’ image as a favourite of Western donors and one of a new wave of reforming African leaders.
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Other sources:
The 38 members of the Coalition for Union and Democracy (CUD) were all convicted of breaching Ethiopia’s constitution, after a trial that they refused to recognize and where they opted not to defend themselves.
Twenty-two were also found guilty of obstructing the exercise of the constitution; five were convicted of coordinating, leading, and encouraging armed violence against the government; and 10 were found guilty of endangering the country’s defense.
“The court obliged the defendants to defend themselves, but they have failed to do so,” said judge Adil Ahmed, adding that sentencing would be carried out July 8.
Verdicts were scheduled for June 18 in the cases of an additional 12 accused who were represented in court by defense lawyers.
The Ethiopian government has regularly accused the CUD of fomenting violence and plotting its overthrow since elections in May 2005, which the opposition alleges were riddled with fraud.
At least 193 civilians and six police officers died in the capital Addis Ababa during post-election violence in June and November 2005.
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AP – June 11, 2007 – An Ethiopian court convicted 39 opposition leaders and others Monday in connection with election violence after a trial that earned condemnation from human rights activists.
They will be sentenced on July 8, said Judge Adil Ahmed, after convicting the 39 because they failed to put up a defense. The charges included “instigating and organizing rebellion against the government” and “outrages against the constitutional order.”
The Federal High Court trial began in December 2005 following postelection violence that erupted during protests over polls six months earlier.
The opposition won an unprecedented number of parliamentary seats, but Prime Minister Meles Zenawi held onto power. The opposition claimed the vote was rigged, and EU observers said the polls were marred by irregularities.
Initially, the opposition leaders, journalists and others were charged with treason, inciting violence and attempted genocide. Ahmed dropped the treason and attempted genocide charges in April. Later that month, the court freed 25 prisoners, among them eight journalists.
Since April, a total of 48 people faced four other charges, but only nine chose to put a defense, the judge said on Monday.
The trial has been widely condemned by international human rights groups as an attempt to silence Ethiopian government critics. The opposition leaders have claimed the trial is politically motivated.
Late last year, Ethiopia acknowledged that its security forces killed 193 civilians protesting alleged election fraud, but insisted they did not use excessive force. A senior judge appointed to investigate the violence had accused the security forces of excessive force.