HRLHA – November 14, 2012
The Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA) strictly denounces that UN General Assembly elected Ethiopia on November 12, 2012 to serve in the UN human Rights Council for the next three years starting from January 1, 2013.
In the last two decades the Ethiopian Government led by EPRDF/TPLF has been repeatedly condemned by regional and international human rights organizations including US State Department and UN independent experts[1]and UN Special Rapporteurs for its heinous human rights crimes against its citizens.
Among others, the Ethiopian Government limits freedom of association and assembly particularly for members of opposition groups, and security forces have used/using excessive force to break up peaceful demonstrations and continue to restrict free press. Twenty one year’s poor human rights record of Ethiopian Government shows, thousands illegally detained, tortured, kidnapped, disappeared and or killed, who were members of opposition groups or accused of being insurgents. After the death of the late Prime Minister of Ethiopia Meles Zenawi the human rights suppression continued under his successor Prime Minster Hailemariam Dessalegn Government all over the country including the capital city Addis Ababa, regional states of Ogaden, Oromia, Sidama, Amhara, Gambela and others.
