Counter Terrorism law to be enacted in Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s draft counterterrorism law could punish political speech and peaceful protest as terrorist acts and encourage unfair trials if enacted, Human Rights Watch said today. The government and members of parliament should amend the draft law, which may otherwise be imminently passed as-is by parliament, to meet international human rights standards, Human Rights Watch said.

Human Rights Watch’s detailed analysis of the draft Anti-Terrorism Proclamation concludes that the bill violates fundamental freedoms of speech and peaceful assembly, and strips defendants of important due-process protections. As drafted, the law could provide a new and potent tool for suppressing political opposition and independent criticism of government policy, Human Rights Watch said.

Earlier the government had stated that the new anti-terrorism bill would “create legal backup in support of efforts geared toward fighting the social evil.”

Earlier HRW analyis here.