Amnesty International has urged Ethiopian authorities to engage in discussions with the country’s striking healthcare professionals and to release those detained during peaceful protests. The rights group emphasized the importance of protecting the right to access healthcare, highlighting the detention of medical staff at the Addis Ababa Police Commission headquarters as a significant concern. The detainees were reportedly advocating for better pay and improved working conditions. Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, called for immediate negotiations to address these grievances and to facilitate the resumption of healthcare services, according to Amnesty International.
Healthcare professionals across Ethiopia initiated a nationwide strike on May 13, driven by demands for more equitable compensation, safer work environments, and rectification of systemic neglect within the healthcare sector. Regrettably, the state has responded with arrests and intimidation, including threats of revoking professional licenses. The ongoing strike, now entering its second week, is having a profound impact on public healthcare access across the nation. A detailed report from Addis Standard provides further insight into these developments.
An online coalition of healthcare professionals has provided Amnesty International with information indicating that at least 121 individuals have been detained. These detentions, reportedly carried out without due process, involved police raids under the pretext of searching for weapons or explosives, yet only electronic devices were seized, based on accounts from families and legal representatives. The situation surrounding Dr. Mahlet Guuesh has become particularly notable. She was detained and held without communication, later charged with inciting unrest despite not practicing medicine at the time. Her mobile devices were confiscated, and her home was searched in a manner consistent with other cases.
Charges against Dr. Mahlet and eight others, such as incitement to riot and neglect of public responsibility, have been met with skepticism given her non-clinical status during the strikes. Prosecutors have also accused the group of contributing to patient deaths due to the strike, a charge layered on top of existing allegations, as reported by Jurist. These developments highlight the complex intersection of labor rights and public health in Ethiopia, emphasizing the need for constructive dialogue between the government and the medical community.