- presents first human rights situation report to HPR
BY HAILE DEMEKE
ADDIS ABABA – The Ethiopian Human Right Commission (EHRC) called on the government to safeguard human rights and citizens wellbeing.
Presenting the first of its kind Human Rights Situation Report covering the period between June 2021 and June 2022 Ethiopian fiscal year to the House of Peoples’ Representatives (HPR), EHRC Chief Commissioner, Daniel Bekele (PhD) stated that serious human right violation has been committed over the past one year. The report highlights encouraging measures taken and issues requiring urgent solutions identified through commission’s assessments, he stated.
“Grave human rights violations committed both by state and non-state actors, widespread deaths, psychosocial and physical injury, sexual and gender based violence, displacement and destruction of property, targeting civilians, including women, children, older persons and persons with disability which carried out in extreme brutality and cruelty.”
According to the report, all parties have committed serious international human rights and humanitarian law violations against civilians. In conflict areas the right to live, security, justice, not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment have been violated by all actors.
Civilians and captives have also been subjected to violations. In some police stations and irregular places of detention, the detainees have been subject to unlawful treatment, extended pre-trial detention and beatings. During state of emergency there were widespread arbitrary and unlawful detentions in irregular places, denying of visitation rights and extended pre-trial detentions have taken place in many parts of the country.
However, federal and regional prison administrations have shown promising improvement in protecting human rights with limited budget, which is commendable, he indicated. In addition, insome areas, court orders have been ignored and people continued being detained despite the violation of court bail orders even after prosecution has dropped. Similarly,the rights of women, children, older persons and persons with disability need due attention of government authorities.
In connection with the conflicts in the country, armed groups, non-organized groups and individuals have carried out ethnic, religious motivated killings, physical injury, forced displacement and destruction and looting of property against civilians.As the widespread killings are mistakenly considered as “genocide” further investigation has to be carried to prove whether it is regarded as said or not, he said.
He said: “Since political instability is resulted from conflicts and widespread attacks against civilians, political solutions are badly needed to come up with lasting solutions to the problems.The report is a useful tool for federal and regional governments in particular to review matters and take corrective measures.”
The July 9/2022
