Political dissenters in Ethiopia are routinely being tortured, according to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Detainees held at Addis Ababa’s notorious Maekelawi detention centre are described in the report entitled They Want a Confession as being repeatedly slapped, kicked, punched, and beaten with batons and gun butts. Some detainees reported being forced into painful stress positions, such as being hung by their wrists or being made to stand with their hands tied above their heads for several hours at a time, often while being beaten, according to the rights organisation.
The fate of those passing through Maekelawi’s gates is largely unknown to the outside world. Since 2011, scores of high-profile individuals have been detained in Maekelawi under Ethiopia’s draconian anti-terrorism law, including journalists and opposition politicians, and held for months under the law’s lengthy pre-charge detention period as their “cases” are prepared for trial.
“Ethiopian authorities right in the heart of the capital regularly use abuse to gather information,” said Leslie Lefkow, HRW’s deputy Africa director, adding: “Beatings, torture, and coerced confessions are no way to deal with journalists or the political opposition.” She called on the Ethiopian government to “root out the underlying culture of impunity”.
Human Rights Watch is demanding that Ethiopia’s leaders publicly state that torture and other ill treatment are prohibited, and take concrete steps to hold to account those found responsible for abuses. Most importantly, the Ethiopian government should ensure that no one is ever arrested for exercising their basic rights, including by peacefully expressing their political opinions.
