Bereket Simon denied any agreement regarding the release of Kinijit leaders

AFP, June 25, 2007 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopian opposition leaders convicted after violent protests in the wake of contested 2005 elections have admitted their “mistakes,” their lawyer said Sunday.

The lawyer said the thirty-eight accused, convicted by the High Court on June 11 for violating the constitution and trying to launch a rebellion, had signed a document to accept responsibility for the violence — a move that could prompt their release.

“All the convicted 38 have agreed and signed a document accepting responsibility over the post-election violence. They have acknowledged to have made mistakes at that time,” lawyer Wondawuk Ayele told AFP.B

But the spokesman for Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on Sunday denied that a deal had been struck for the activists’ release.

“So far there hasn’t been any proposal from the government, nor has there been any mediation involving any other country,” Bereket Simon said.

“I’m not aware of any developments regarding their release,” Bereket added.