CIVICUS

FROM THE DESK OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

CIVICUS partners continue to languish in jail

Release Date: 08 August 2007

By Kumi Naidoo, CIVICUS Secretary-General

Dear e-CIVICUS Subscriber,

As I write this, our two civil society colleagues in Ethiopia languish in prison, and will do so at least until their verdict on 8 October 2007. By that date, Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie will have spent 23 months in detention, first awaiting charges, then trial, and now finally word on their futures.

As mentioned in my e-CIVICUS column in April 2006, I described meeting these two brave gentlemen in prison as part of a delegation of supporters, including Archbishop Ndungane of Cape Town, Salil Shetty, Director of the UN Millennium Campaign and Henry Malumo of the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP). We also had the opportunity to meet Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who promised a swift and fair trial. A promise that, now still unfulfilled over a year later, seems rather empty.

Daniel and Netsanet, both coordinators of the GCAP campaign in Ethiopia, courageously presented their defence from 27 July until 2 August, calling 29 witnesses and presenting 300 pages of documentary evidence. Their witnesses included members of the opposition party CUD and an UN election observer, all who pointed to Daniel and Netsanet’s innocence. We were hopeful that the judges would give a verdict before the court went on recess on 8 August, putting an end to Daniel and Netsanet’s misery, but the court instead adjourned allowing final statements to be submitted in writing, and setting the final verdict for 8 October.

Daniel and Netsanet remain the only two defendants left on trial, out of an original list of 131 opposition politicians, civil society activists and journalists. They were charged with conspiracy and the treason related charge of ‘outrage against the constitution and constitutional order.’ Gradually, over the last few months, each of the other defendants have been released, or sentenced and then pardoned.

While in prison, almost all the other defendants signed statements of confession and apologies, admitting to provoking and being involved in a series of riots following the May 2005 elections. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi then issued wide sweeping pardons, accepting the confessions and clearing their names.

Daniel and Netsanet were also offered the opportunity to sign a statement. The statement, however, falsely claimed that civil society organisations had operated as supporters of the opposition coalition to overthrow the government, as well as taking joint responsibility for the election related riots and civil disturbances. They argue instead, that their activities in 2005 were entirely legal and did not serve to undermine, but rather to protect and promote Ethiopia’s constitutional order. Signing such a statement could have led to their release, but would also have likely rendered them unemployable and unable to travel. In addition, it would have effectively criminalised civil society in th e c ountry.

They refused to sign, because, as Daniel said: “We have decided to do what we believe is the right thing to our conscience, to civil society both locally and globally, to our country and for the defence of human rights.”

After reading through some of the Ethiopian blogs which are following the case, I’ve realised that Daniel and Netsanet are seen as heroes, not only by members of their organisations and the GCAP campaign worldwide, but also by many of their fellow countrymen and women. They have courageously stood up and suffered for their commitment to human rights and justice.

While we applaud Daniel and Netsanet for their courage, and express disgust with their long detention, we must not forget that they are among the many other civil society activists around the world, from Belarus to Burma, who remain in prison because of their work. Through our CIVICUS programme Civil Society Watch (CSW), my colleagues are regularly tracking violations of fundamental human rights and restrictions on civic space.

I encourage you to visit the CSW website at www.civilsocietywatch.org for updates on Daniel and Netsnet’s case and others, and to subscribe to the CSW Monthly Bulletin.

In solidarity,

Kumi Naidoo

Below you will find all previous columns published.

• If civil society organisations cannot change how governments can?

• Climate Change: How much longer can we ignore this catastrophe and how will climate change affect the work of civil society?

• Civil society engaging with inter-governmental organisations: is the feeling mutual?

• 07/07/07: Reflection on the mid-point of the Minimalist/Millennium Development Goals

• Towards the Legal Empowerment of the Poor

• Continuity and Change: The position of CIVICUS' Secretary General

• Continuity with change: Governance change at CIVICUS

• From a whisper to a whimper: Reflections on the on the G8 Summit

• Will the G8 deliver according to its broken promises?