The commission has called for urgent action to ensure accountability and justice in the report released on 23 October 2024
The EHRC outlined cases from regions including Addis Ababa, Amhara, and Oromia of Ethiopia. The report detailed how individuals were taken from their homes or workplaces by security forces, often in unmarked vehicles and in the presence of witnesses.
According to the report, some detainees were moved from regular detention facilities to unofficial sites, even after court proceedings had started. Several individuals were reportedly transferred between locations, often blindfolded during transport.
“I was held in solitary confinement for 1 month and 20 days and saw around 60 other people detained in the same place,†said Mechemegeta Andualem, who was released in March 2024 after seven months in what he described as the “Russian Camp†military barracks.
The investigation uncovered a pattern of financial extortion, with some families reportedly paying large bribes to secure the release of detainees. The report highlighted instances where security officers, including one with the rank of major, demanded significant sums from detainees’ families.
The report further found that many detainees were held without formal charges and denied access to legal representation. Some described being confined in facilities lacking basic infrastructure, while others reported threats and physical abuse during interrogations.
MG/abj/APA
