Ethiopia's prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn. He says the country will
immediately release all political prisoners and close notorious
detention centre, in a move is designed to allow political dialogue.
FILE PHOTO | AFP
Ethiopia's prime minister has
announced the release all political prisoners and the closure of a
notorious detention centre which allegedly used torture to extract
confessions.
Hailemariam Desalegn told a press conference charges would also be dropped for those still awaiting trial.
The move is designed to allow political dialogue, he said.
Ethiopia is accused by human rights groups of using mass arrests and detention to stifle opposition.
State of emergency
The
country declared a state of emergency in 2016, following a year of
protest calling for political and economic reforms, which prompted a
crackdown.
Mr
Hailemariam's announcement included the closure of Maekelawi - a
detention facility at the centre of the torture allegations, which have
been denied by the government.
According to Ethiopian newspaper the Addis Standard, the prison will become a "modern museum".
A new detention centre will be opened, Mr Hailemariam said, which would comply with international standards.
It
is unclear exactly what prompted the decisions, which came after days
of consultations within the ruling coalition, the Ethiopian People's
Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF).
However, the Addis Standard links
it to two days of action across social media at the end of December,
raising awareness of the plight of political prisoners.
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