Human Rights Watch (HRW) appealed on Tuesday for the immediate release of 12 detainees, including the brother of Batte Urgessa, a political opposition member assassinated in April 2024. HRW condemned the murder and the arbitrary imprisonment of those associated with Batte as a violation of fundamental human rights.
Batte Urgessa, a prominent critic of Ethiopia’s government and a leading member of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), had been detained on multiple occasions prior to his assassination. His murder has led to calls from the US and other international bodies for a prompt investigation by Ethiopian authorities.
HRW deputy Africa director Laetitia Bader commented, “The Ethiopian authorities’ detention without charge of the murdered opposition leader’s brother and others suggests that the government is more concerned about preventing the truth from coming out than uncovering it. The authorities should immediately release those unlawfully held and seek international assistance for an impartial investigation.”
Reports from various human rights organizations, including the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRC), indicate a rise in threats and harassment directed at human rights bodies and the media in Ethiopia. The EHRC reported that it had been forced to abandon its investigation into Batte’s assassination after implicating government security forces.
HRW has called for international assistance to ensure transparency and accountability in these cases, stressing the urgent need for an impartial and thorough investigation into both the assassination of Batte Urgessa and the subsequent detentions linked to his murder.
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