Lawyer says Ethiopia’s political prisoners are victims of kangaroo courts, unjust laws

The legal director of an international advocacy group has said that Ethiopia’s political prisoners like journalist Eskinder Nega and Andualem Aragie are not terrorists but victims of “kangaroo courts” and unjust laws designed to criminalize fundamental rights.

Kate Barth, Legal Director of Freedom Now and international advocate for Eskinder Nega and Andualem Aragie, told ESAT that the courts, as well as laws such as the anti-terror proclamation, are unjust and unacceptable by any standard.

“The Ethiopian courts aren’t simply independent or unbiased bodies. That is, in fact, one of the arguments we made in some of our legal filings with the international tribunals. In the specific case of Mr. Nega and Mr. Andualem’s case, there was literally no evidence produced at trial,” she said.

Barth called the anti-terrorism law a “total joke” used to criminalize dissent. “Terrorism is a favorite trick of Ethiopia to say that its critics are effectively undermining the government, which is crazy as we all have the right to free speech. Ethiopia has signed numerous international treaties promising to give its citizens the right to free speech and simply criticizing governments does not make you a terrorist,”

Full interview with Kate Barth, Legal Director at Freedom Now--Aug 15, 2017