ACLU Lawsuit Charges in Amir Meshal v. Higgenbotham et al that an American Citizen Illegally Detained and Mistreated by U.S. Officials in Kenya and Ethiopia

The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a lawsuit on behalf of a New Jersey man who was illegally detained and mistreated by U.S. officials in Kenya and Ethiopia. After fleeing hostilities in Somalia in 2006, Amir Meshal was arrested, secretly imprisoned in inhumane conditions and subjected to harsh interrogations by U.S. officials over 30 [...]

UK-Ethiopia Agreement on Deportations Puts Suspects at Risk of Torture

The UK government should not rely on unreliable “diplomatic assurances” against torture to deport national security suspects to Ethiopia, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to the UK government. In December 2008, the United Kingdom and Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), similar to those the UK has signed with Jordan, Lebanon [...]

Ethiopian Official Says Somali Militias Use Ethiopia to Attack Rebels

Ethiopia has confirmed that pro-government militias from neighboring Somalia are using Ethiopian territory as a base to launch attacks on rebel forces. An Ethiopian spokesman lashed out at Horn of Africa rival Eritrea for its role in the Somalia conflict.
Spokesman Bereket Simon says Ethiopia has not and will not stop its military support to Somalia’s [...]

John Brennan on the US counterterrorism policy

Remarks by John O. Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, As Prepared for Delivery “A New Approach to Safeguarding Americans, 6 August 2009. Read the speech here.
Interview with Brennan here. Comments in the LA Times and the WSJ.

Canadian sentenced to life in Ethiopia for terrorism

An Ethiopia-born Canadian was sentenced Monday to life in prison for terrorism-related charges by the high court in the capital Addis Ababa.Bashir Makhtal was last week convicted on three charges mainly of inciting rebellion by aiding and abetting armed opposition groups in Ethiopia and being a senior member of a rebel group.
“After finding the defendant [...]

Ethiopia suspends 42 NGO’s

Ethiopian authorities have suspended the operations of 42 non-governmental organisations allegedly involved in activities that are “out of their mandate” in the Southern region of the country.The Ethiopian government moved to revoke the licence of the NGOs following accusation of their alleged involvement in reporting human right abuses in the rural areas. Ethiopian government publicly [...]

Ethiopian parliament passes terrorism bill

The Ethiopian Parliament (House of Peoples representatives)  passed the bill for the prevention and control of terrorism on the 7th of July.
According to the recommendations presented by the Legal and Administrative Affairs and Foreign, Defense, and Security Affairs Standing Committees of the parliament, the anti terrorism bill was prepared in line with the binding principles [...]

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. [...]

Ethiopia drafts new counterterrorism law

A new draft law on counter-terrorism has drawn expressions of serious concern from opposition parties and human rights advocates. The draft law is due for consideration in the Council of Ministers.
Human Rights Watch’s analysis finds that the draft Proclamation is premised on an extremely broad and ambiguous definition of terrorist activity that permits the government [...]

Trial of Canadian held in secret detention site starts in Ethiopia

A Canadian citizen, allegedly held in secret detention for two years, has appeared in an Ethiopian court accused of terrorism charges. The BBC’s Elizabeth Blunt in Addis Ababa says he is one of the last of the foreign detainees from 2006 still to be held, and the first to face charges in a normal criminal [...]