In opening this blog, our intention is not to side track you from the main task at hand-defeating poverty and building the Hedase Dam! It is not our intention to remind you of your old wounds and fresh hurts! It is not our intention to remind you to point fingers and devoid you of a forgiving heart that you have towards the derge! Our intention is simply to give you a venue to air your grievances, anger and even “ululeta”. We have received many requests to open the blog and have received many comments about the recent release of the derge functionaries. We cannot post them all but you can! Have your say, just for the record, that derge victims were not forgotten on the day the criminals were let go free so to speak!
Dear Aiga
I like to think Ethiopians are far better off to look forward than to look back. Where Ethiopia has been is not something to Ethiopians would be proud! I can not fathom why the Government of Meles Zenawi wants to remind Ethiopians about the Derg. I can nt understand the OLD president wants to remind Ethiopians about Melaku and and the gangs. All I can say is Lord stretch your arms one more time to Ethiopians and deliver them from the uncalled sorrow they will endure in the coming weeks knowing their children killers are out and free till your kingdom comes! Mercy God!
Hi Aiga,
Meles is facing questions about his ethics and future ambitions. The release of the Derg officials is simply to a distraction. He wants to be seen as big stomach who thinks for the future harmony of the country. More over if he leaves power then he is setting a precedence that those who killed and oppressed the people of Ethiopia always have legal immunity. Not good for the future of the country.
Aiga,
It seems you are alone in this cry. Have you noticed how the otherwise noisy diaspora is quiet about this issue. May be President Girma has these people in mind when they released the derg officials. what do you think? You know the government is trying to please every one including Isaias Afeworki! I am Simply amazed how the government has managed to control the society. It may be good thing for a country that is poor to be controlled so the people remained focused but it is a double sword edge. It is 50/50
The president open new Parliament session today and no word about what he did! Good God!
Dear Aiga,
you did a good job when you reached out to all Ethiopians to come up with the lists of Melaku’s victims.
Can we please do the same to the rest of the butchers(recently released ones or not)
Allow me to start with Petros Gebre
His victim:
Mengistu Negussie, teacher at Durame (3rd year physics major in the 70′s AKA: Khalinin,Revo, ,Okello. High level leadership member of CPE)
Killed in the town of Durame with other 10+ high schhol teachers in late 70s.
God bless his soul
Thanks
Sileshi
A country where laws are not strictly applied, where ciminals are not addressed appropriately is not worth neither living nor loving. Thank you EPRDF for the depression you brought to me this week!!! Nonsense. Our killers will start teasing and mocking at us when they see us on the streets. Sad!!!!!!!!!!If I kill all of them, will you let me free me too EPRDF???? I want to know!!
Dear Aiga,
I have been a staunch supporter of PM Meles since the last 20 years. However, now I will be forced to reconsider my support. I and my family are extremely upset as a result of two shocking surprises in less than 10 days.
1. Death of our hero artists the cause of whose death is suspicious among millions of Tegaru
2. The release of the criminals. How on earth can one justify the release of Legesse Asfaw who massacred 1000′s of our beloved ones? I can tell you what I’m hearing from EPRDF supporters who are whispering, ” … so is the so called Hawzen drama real”??
Mr. Aiga, I would like to thank you for NOT siding with EPRDF with this issue.It is frustrating the fact that they released this individuals who committed unforgivable crimes. I see luck of consistency with their legal system. We hear that they have been arresting journalists and opposition leaders on the other hand they have released the derg criminals. Where are they heading to?
When the punishment was lowered from death to life in prison I thought that is fair but now letting those criminals whom have torchered, terrorized, murdered and destroyed a generation to walk free is unacceptable.
Under what bases is the forgiveness? This will lead to a lot of supporters of EPRDF to turn their back on this government.
Has the government discussed this with the public?
What is the agenda behind that they did not want to tell us?
I for one cannot be convinced for no matter. I’m so disappointed and from now on I will not participate in any of this government propaganda.
Forgiveness & reconciliation ia part of our calture! former Derg officials was sentenced from 20 years to life in prison & death sentencesn to some! we need not to forget that these Derg officials was our leaders eventhough the magnitude of their crimes are so atrocious!
We can see here that most in the diaspora are pro derg criminals! that’s why this have your say page is still with a fewer comments! had it been about anything else, there would have been over hundred comments!
in my my opinion,Ethiopia can be benefitted by releasing them! they served 20 years anyway!
God bless Ethiopia & the EPEDF!
You dont forgive people who do not have heart and love for others who butchered young Ethiopians without mercy.
What kind of justice is this for the mothers and fathers of this victims?
How about for the brothers sisters and comrades?
Who ever passed this pardon shame on you.
There is going to be a backlash. We were starting to come together as Ethiopians this is going to have a friction among us.Thank you Melese for this shameful act.
Thank you for letting us speak our minds in this issue. I agree with you this brings back a lot of old wounds and very sad memoires to Ethiopians of the days the sad state our country was in for some time. What this people have done is completely unforgivable and as far as I am concerned they deserve no life. But the key here what the Governmnet of Ethiopia is trying to do this they are trying to bring sanity to the way we think, interact in all levels. This people have been convicted of the worst kind of crime and most of them have served more than or aorund twenty years. Most of them are old and who knows could be very sick waiting the end of their lives. They all need our forgivness
They have done unimginable crime to Ethiopia and Ethiopians. I am very
Thankful to the Governmnet of Ethiopia for extending the compassion of our forefathers , Ethiopians to this people. This is how we measured our society, our Government and how our Ethiopia has come from the days when the evils were roaming our country.
The action the GOE took this time has been consistent with what I have seen over the years from the Governmnet. The Governmnet does not want to dewell in the past. They always move on and I like that and That is good for our country. We need to look to the future. I am more
optimistic that the so called Renaissance Dam and other projects that the Governmnet is planning for the next five years will be more of a reality when I consider this position that the GOE took.
Belive it or not that is why I love this Government and why I defend them in conversation with other fellow Ethiopians.
Thanks.
I am utterly dismayed by the lack of uproar and disquiet by the ethiopian diaspora and the international media. The prisoners release saga has been handled recklessly and with utmost disregard to the victims of these group of cannibals who call themselves Derg. The very least out current forgiving leaders should do is explain to us the reason behind their action and educate us where in the constitution such clemency is provided. The main distinction between a banana republic and a democratic country is the respect and adherence to the constitution.
What a fantastic decision? This is one step forward. Good job! Forgiveness is greatness in front of GOD and the PEOPLES’ of the great nation of Ethiopia. I know how hard will be for the victims. But I also know the value of reconciliation.
Goooooooood job.
I never expected that the Meles administration would make such a big mistake. This was a non priority issue and the timing was very wrong. I am really pissed-off at Meles and his advisers. Damn Asses, I will get over it and continue my support to EPRDF.
When will this government get the authority to render justice?
Is this justice……
If forgiveness is equated with moral high ground…How do we equate a inability to render justice?
This is a weak government….
I lost all my respect and support for this government..
.
It is not surprinsing if one group of killers pardon anoother group of killers. You people should start supporting the freedom struggle of the Ethiopian people. It shouldn’t take the death of loved artisits and the release of creimanals to acknowledge the crime of Meles Zenawi
Those most criminal among them already got their judgement over twenty years ago, Getachew Shibeshi, Ali Musa etc. I as a person forgave them long time ago. This is just old news.
The question I have now, will Mr Sebhat Nega move out of Mr. Legesse
Asfaw’s house and return it back to the latter? Silly me, I forgot, the house does not belong either to Sebhat or Legesse. It was built by simple Ethiopians who bought the land, borrowed the money and went thru hell to make it their home. It was stolen by Derg, probably the owners traumatized, murdered, arrested, tortured, the husband dead and the little old wife, in her eighties, rotting in some nursing home ten thousand miles away, unable to return to her rightful house and die in peace. That is the injustice of Ethiopia. Yesterdays muderers walk away free, today’s looters build one skyscraper after another living in someone elses home for free. But I tell you what, private ownership was murdered in 1974, and this new regime has done not a thing to repair the damage done then. Instead they are very busy amassing whatever they can lay their hands on, but remember it will all one day be gone with a single firma. I am just trying to pull you out of the ETV daze, and bring you back to realty. Good day.
I am very sad and disappointed in the Ethiopian legal system and EPRDF’s rule. I have been a staunch supporter of the TPLF and EPRDF from the inception of the struggle. My friends and I have contributed and still continue to support and fight for the cause that we and the EPRDF upholds.
IT was the life and death struggle to free our people from the evil Derg that massacred a whole generation of youth, destroyed families and communities irreversibly that made me join the clandestine city fighters of the TLF/ TPLF. It was the ideal that the bitter and tough struggle for the legitimate right of the people to live free and secure their safety that always placate my sorrow of the loss of so many brave boys, girls, young women, young men, mothers and fathers. BUT most of all we fought and struggled to reverse the injustice and make criminals account for their actions in our ETHIOPIA so it doesn’t happen again.
It has to be crystal clear we did not and are not asking an eye for an eye neither did we expect Meles to trade our rights for his fame. How is it justice, releasing a group of heinous criminals whom massacred not thousands, not tens of thousands but hundreds of thousands of young women and men and a lot of teen age boys and girls,and uprooted millions of people? Would any insensitive US president release Ted Bundy who killed few people? The answer is never be it democrat or republican president. Did the international court in Hague release convicted criminals from prison or stop execution of the Nazi criminals. These kinds of crimes are not ordinary crimes, and are not covered by the clemency clause. For that matter in the legal system of the UK egregious crimes such as murder are not given a chance for clemency.
My other pet peeve is the involvement of the the religeous leaders who as much didn’t beep or squick about the ruthless massacre of the youth now are the stalwart leaders of this injustice so called clemency. This is a travesty of justice committed by the Derg, silently condoned by the church/ mosque leaders and now sanitized by the EPRDF.
Shame to EPRDF. This is a serious breach of contract with the people and I will start working against this second round of injustice with all my might.
This is not the EPRDF we fought hand in hand with but an organization hijacked by the sleaze Meles who exploited our emotion and trust to catapult his image at the cost of people. He has become arrogant like many of his predecessors before their down fall and I think it is time to teach him a lesson, the lesson he has forgotten in the comfort of the palace. It is also important so it will be also a lesson to who ever will come after him.
Someone told me the reason these people were let go is because the government wants to start afresh the renaissance movement. I want to believe that but wouldn’t a fresh start require a willing public ready to forgive? How can the government want the public to change when it is not changing? Do you think the government has changed a bit how it pushes down its policy and directives without public consultation down to the people to be implemented? If there is a need to change and desire to forget past wounds, what should be done first and foremost is let the public speak its mind on the issue first! EPRDF should have campaigned during the last election I will release Derg elements so elect me!
What we heard instead EPRDF campaigning is Dergawian are coming and Atsewoch are salivating to take away your hard won fruits! How does this jibe with what we see EPRDF doing now? In my mind this will remain absurd and “nieqet” on part of EPRDF until it explains to the public adequately why it release and tamper the constitution. Who advised the EPRDF government to take such measure and to keep quiet at the same time?
Speechless and Wordless!
Are Legesse Asfaw and Melaku Tefera really out of prison after all the massacre they carried out?
It’s time to let go…….if they are truly repentant.
Dear Aiga,
I believe in forgiveness, but needs to be discussed with the people who are affected. I am really confussed about these Derg officials. I could not find the NEWS any where else except in the Reporter that you cited. It seems some thing is wrong!!! There are hidden, fishy things going…neither the governement of EPRDF nor the opposition diaspora is talking about it????why???
I love my country but I would love to see my country respect the RULE OF LAW! @ Jacob has a point when he said “A country where laws are not strictly applied, where ciminals are not addressed appropriately is not worth neither living nor loving”. Now, how are we going to be convinced when EPRDF says “Journalists and political activists “are being jailed because they donot respect the rule of law of the country? which law?? Really confusing when we see criminals get free! We need the rule of LAW to be respected! This game “gambling” has to STOP!! WE need and deserve LEADERSHIP!!
Hagsos — Eritrean Baffoon — we don’t need your advise — just stay away!!
Aiga:
Time to let go — they served at least 20 years, unlike their boss who did not serve one day in jail.. If they are truly repentant, it’s good to let go for the country!!
healing wounds and starting a new phase in public life is not bad. Indeed one area where Ethiopia has failed for long is to create an environment of healing and forgiving. BUT that is not done out of the blue and there are clear Ethiopian and international expereinces of how to go about it. Ethiopian customary tradition (of all corners of the country that I know well) and the expereinces of South Africa etc on Truth and reconcilation, even the Rwanda Cachacha courts have a principle as to how to do forgiveness and reconcilation: The criminal/suspect fully confesses in public to the victim’s family and the latter considering many factors forgivess. In between religious leaders play a great role in facilitating the process. As far as I know so far many of the victims of the Derg regime that aired their view did not like the way they were released (though they probably would have forgiven them if done through the process). so what is it then? it is a confused way of trying to be popular without respecting the people. But for those of us who know how EPRDF handles public life, it is no surprise. EPRDF never listned to its people, if it does it is only in moments like election 2005 when its power is threatned, nothing less nothing more.
God bless this country.
LET THE PEOPLE HUNT DOWN AND KILL THESE CRIMINALS WHERE EVER THEY ARE
Derg gangs freed!but why? really confusing and amazing. now one thing has become real…. the rage of Hauzen was simply a game plotted by TPLF. all the hard to believe inhuman acts committed in this country were the acts of TPLF. our sisters, brothers, fathers, mothers and forefathers were massacred by TPLF, and they told us those crimes were committed by Derg. what a devils job!they sold us for power. they killed Hayelom the only innocent and straight up warrior because of his stand.
in a crook society, lawlessness becomes the law. innocent once are locked in a cell forever or die there. but hooligans are released and given a pardon to kill many more again. these so called dirty politicians and religious leaders are incense.they are a wolf in a sheep’s clothing. the world has become hell because of these evils. it’s better we uncover who they are publicly and give them what they really deserve.
The irony is that Residents of Hawzen were denied their right to demonstrate against the Pardon of those criminals.
Dear Readers;
The action is relevant to what South-African people did during the Apartheid regime. Is there any war criminal who had been imprisoned after the collapse of apartheid. No one can yes! The apologize what have been done by White people against the Blacks. Now they are living in hormoney respecting each other.
I feel that the country has become one in which the whim of those ho rule it nto the constitution that matters. A few months a go, the people of Hawzen were denied permit to demonstrate to air their opinion about the pardoning of these Derg officials. I being one from Hawzen and having known the atrocity perpetrated in the city feel so betrayed by my country for serving justice to those of us who have been victimized inhumanely. The people of Hawzen have been told , by the release of the Derg officials, that they mean nothing and that their opinions means nothing. That is how I understand it and that is how my friends understand it.
Now the Ethiopian Government released criminals of the previous regime, who were in charge of these non-humane activities, what is happening in this country? As everyone knows it was not only in Tigray but in every part of the country, such as in Gondor where many innocent people were killed by barbaric action of the previous regime. How it could be possible to release those murderers without mercy given from the people??? What the hell is doing the Government of Ethiopia?? The Judge Judges based on the constitution and Law of the country, but fails to implement the rule of Law!!! What does it mean religious leaders and elders?? It is known that those guys are directly or indirectly supporters of the current Government, so what is the need by the name of those?? I am not 100% against the Murderers but saying that why they are not asked for forgiveness. Ethiopia is supposed to be a constitutional country, but the rule of law never works, unless for these who stirs their hand against them! Take some evidences:
1. Look following 2005, election the Judge give decision, then they became released
2. On Ms. Birtukan Medeksa same thing happens so many times
3. Now on those who were higher Officials of Derg
Let the parents of the killed come together and pass a decision on whether they be released or not.
Hi Aiga,
I am not supporter of this government for several reasons. I check your website every now and then and to be honest this is the first time I found an article that I agree with you. How on earth the government release butchers who are responsible of so many innocent civilians while putting so many journalists, opposition figures and repressing anyone who don’t agree with their policies.
The government either need to do what our South African brothers did 2 decades ago and make national reconciliation or at least release all political prisoners. I salute Aiga for your stand on this.
እስካሁን ድረስ የመለሰ ደጋፊ ነበርኩ። ከቅርብ ግዜ ወዲህ ግን አንዳንድ ነገሮች እያጠያየቀኝ ነዉ። አመራሩ ትንሽ ድብቅ የሆነ ይመስላል። Transparency እያጣ ነዉ። እንደሚመስለኝ እነዚህ ፋሽቶችን በመልቀቅ መለስ ኖቤል ፕራይስ ለማግኘት የሚያደርገዉ የጓሮ በር ይመስላል። በርግጥ ነዉ እነ ቅንጅት ባያበለሹበት ኖሮ ማግኘት ይችል ነበር። ከላይቤሪያዊዋ መሪ በጭራሽ አያንስም። እንኳን በሺዎች የገደሉትን ይቅር አንድም ለገደለ እንኳን ይቅርታ በህግ እና ከማንም በላይ በሆነዉ ሕገ መንግስት በኩል አያዋጣም። በተረፈ ደግሞ በዚያ አሮጌ አዉቶቡስ የወደቁትን ነባር ታጋዮች ያለአግባብ ማለቃቸዉ በተዘዋዋሪ ያስጠይቀዋል። የተሻለ መኪና ጠፍቶ ከ3000 ኪሎ ሜትረ በላይ (ደርሶ መልስ) በዛ ጠራራ ፀሃይ ባረጀ መኪና ታሽገዉ መሄዳቸዉ ለምን? አሁንም ለምን? ይኸን ሁላ ሰለሞን ተካልኝ ነዉ ክቦ፣ ክቦ ለዚህ ያበቃዉ። ይቅርታ ባገራችን የተለመደ ነዉ እየተባለ እነ ብርሃኑ ነጋን ለቆ ይኸዉ አሁን ምነ ቦታ እነደደረሰ። ነገ ደግሞ እንዱአለምነ ለቆ ከነገወዲያ ይፈታል ማለት ነዉ። እንደዚህ ከቀጠለ የህግ የበላይነት ያጠያይቃል። መልሱ ግን እንዲህ በዋዛ እንዳማያልፍ ከወዲሁ ቢታሰብበት ያበጃል።
Hello,
The question needed to be answered is whether the authorities followed the proper law to release them or not. I hope they did that. You don’t follow emotions or moral grounds to treat legal cases. But that’s what I hear from many, including AIGA’s comment.
I don’t know where to begin my opinion regarding this decision that was made by Ethiopian government to release this criminals. I could say I never experienced or seen any danger during the Derge regime, but I have learned many horrible crimes that was committed by this thugs. My question is that, Who is going to explain to the families that lost love ones because of this criminals action? What is the reason to build a monument to remember the victims of Hawzen? What is the reason to build a big monument in Mekele to remember the heroes who gave their life away to bring this thugs down? Who is going to tell to the mothers and families of the Semaetat that their love one’s life was lost for nothing because the criminals who suppose to pay for their crimes are now free and enjoying life? Finally I will like to ask EPDRF what was the main core reason you fought the Derge regime?
folks,
It is absolutely unbelievable! our trust on EPRDF specially on TPLF is being eroded bit by bit as a result of recklessness of the PM Meles. In this case,how can we be sure that Shabiya and Meles are really on odds? ! have they really quarreled?! Are not they communicating in daily basis? Hmm! Wake up my people!!!! Finally this guy may expose us to the day hyena.
Wake up before it gates too late.
though i disagree with release (should stay in prison till they die); at least the mingistu gangsters served 20 years. one question i have to ask is what about those which have committed crimes equivalent to melaku currently serving the regime at present with out serving a single day in prison. some living in exile some at home. especially a lot can be said about the one living here in Europe in his participation of forwarding the list of names to be murdered so that melaku to sign then action taken those of the list forwarders. the guy use to spin his white colour sun glass in front those to be murdered enjoying the to see the terror felt by those defenceless youth. Secondly when do the aiga people are going to give us the list of those murdered by the current thugs.
Dear Aiga
Thank you for letting every one vent his/her air out. Before the the release of the Derg officials, the family of the martyred had to discuss and reach a common understanding on the issue. The people of Ethiopia should discussed on the same issue so that great lessons should have been scored for the record. Then reconciliation would work. Without all these steps taken, the wounds of red terror woud not heal now. It would take a generation to forgive and forget the agony inflicted by the dergists.
I think this is a courageous move and historical at the same time. Regardless their past crimes, pardoning was the right decision if one is to build a harmonious nation. I’m not sure what the politcial benefits may be, but overall thumbs up EPRDF … well done and keep pushing the envelope for a better future.
This is one issue that the majority of Ethiopians, irrespective of political outlook, have a common stand.
The EPRDF government may have calculated that it will attain a political gain by its act. from whom? – only EPRDF knows. But the citizens of Ethiopia, mothers, fathers, keens who lost loved ones in the streets of Addis, mekelle, gonder, Jimma, etc… in the small remote towns of Ethiopia are to be polite, simply outraged.
Justice is stiffled. EPRDF may have got a positive political boost if it released recent political activists …. this is unjust
very SAD!!!!!!!!! news to hear the release of those KILLERS. i know that forgiving is good interns of any faith but as rules of doesn’t change our constitution too should not change for sake of those KILLERS like LEGESE , GESGES and some others, i am the supporter of EPRDF from the beginning until now because it toppled the DERG that was my main reason to support EPRDF but if it released the same DERG again i have a big question and look my self again ………..
አወቅሽ አወቅሽ ቢሏት የቄሱን መፅሀፍ አጠበች ሆነ ነገሩ። 99.6% የሕዝብ ድምፅ ማግኘት ማለት እንደፈለግሁ እሰራለሁ ማለት እንዳልሆነ EPRDF እንዲገባቸዉ ያስፈልጋል። ምንግዜም ቢሆን የሕዝብ ሃይል ከማንኛዉም ፐርሰንት/%/ እንደሚበልጥ ታሪክ አሳይቶናል። ሆኖም አሁን የተደረገዉ ሽፍንፍን ሁናቴ ግልፅ ብሎ ለሕዝቡ መዉጣት አለበት። ምንስ ተገኝቶ ነዉ ሱፐር ገዳዮች (Mass Murderers) ሊለቀቁ የሚበቁት? ማንስ ተጠይቆ ነዉ? በኋለስ ለሚመጣዉ መዘዝ ማን ነዉ ተጠያቂዉ? በአሁኑ ግዜስ ለምን መፍታት አስፈለገ? Barack Obama በፈረሱት Twin Towers አጠገብ ትንሽ የእስላም ቤተ ክርስቲያን ሊያሰራ ሲል የወረደበት ቅዋሞን አይተናል። አንድ ጋዜጠኛ ያለዉ ግን መጀመሪያ ሕዝቡን ቢጠይቅ የተሻለ ነበር ብሏል። በዚህም ምክንያት Barack Obama የጠባሳ ምልክት አሳልፏል። እዚህ ላይ የሚያመለክተዉ ጆርጅ ቡሽ ይፈቅድ ነበርን ብሎ መጠየቅም ተገቢ ነዉ። ሁሉም መሪ የየራሱ የሆነ ድክመትና ጥንካሬ አለዉ። ለዚህም ነዉ ዴሞክረሲ ስርአቱን በያዘ መልክ ቢሄድ የእድገት አዉታር የሚሆነዉ። በዚህ ረገድ ደግሞ የተጎዳዉ ሕዝብ ሰላማዊ ሰልፍ በመዉጣት ቅሬታዉን ማሰማት ያለምንም „መቼና ነገር ግን“ መፈቀድ አለበት እላለሁ።
We Ethiopians should reconcile to pave for the better future of Ethiopia,the final destiny is to promote peace ,prosperity and dignity for all citezens not pass a grudge of hetreat,this thugs their system of DERGE,is over 21 years ago,we do not live in the past only in the future,we fought the system of tranny,so my conclusion is to those who participated in the armed struggle for justice,they have shown their toleration to their former enemies of the past not a revange to the ‘dead’ fish(we do not live in a victims spirit)WE ETIOPIANS ARE LONG LIVED AND WELL ALIVE FOREVER!!,its important to build the future by respecting each other and protect the fundumental rights achieved through the Federal constitution,the equaliy,fraternity and mutual development of Ethiopian nations and nationalities who are sovereign over any entity and defender of their interests of Ethiopianism in the coming bright future by joininig hand in hand in a powerful, resourceful,mighty ETHIOPA, in the GREATER OF HORN OF AFRICA as well as in the world arena.
I understand how difficult could be to accept the news when we heared and read about those victim are released after 20 years of prison.I said to my self like this ok….if everything is posible under EPRDF regme so…when dose Mengstuhailemariam back to ethiopia and start investmant in Hawzen Tigray? is it civilized thinking what EPRDF did it? i suppose not. First of al the discussion should go to ethiopian intellectual politicall analysere and puplic media in generall for what circumstance is the government to release those criminal butchers from prison? pepole have a right to know befor they released.what that mean sacrifice? (mehiret) if sacrifice comes should come from the popel of ethiopa ingeneral not only from EPRDFpolitical institut decision.As me,have no much to say on this comment but i agree with Weldu and Hagose opinion. chakuru…..
Forgiveness’ is a good thing. However, this monster does not deserve that. Many Ethiopian killed, torched, raped and many left the country forever. Many of those who were murdered by this junta military group never get second chance in life. I hope history will not repeat again. I am not an advocate of death penalty but these monsters deserve to stay in prison for Life. Do you know that more than half million Ethiopians tortured, killed, raped during that time. We remember that mass murder in Ethiopia. We remember blood on the street like a river. We rember a human being thrown on the street to feed dogs and hyena. For all this crime against humanity this monsters didn’t apology the Ethiopian people publicly. There are a lot of family lost father, mother, sister, children in some cases the entire family wiped out by Legesse Assefaw and his junta groups. Many highly educated and who fought for their country.
“The Past will serve as a lesson and a reminder for the present and the future so that such horror will not be allowed to occur ever again. The wise learn from the mistakes of others. It must be known that those who sit in the seat of power have the sacred duty to protect life from being unjustly destroyed, human rights from being violated, human dignity from being degraded and the family from being broken, and that they have the obligation to make the supreme of the law prevail throughout the land of Ethiopia”
Aberra Jembere.
Here you’ll find the names of dedicated servants of Ethiopia who had accomplished monumental achievements for their country whom the derg massacred on November 23, 1974.
1. Rear Admiral Eskender Desta
2. Tsehafe Te’ezaz Aklilu Habte Wold
3. Lt. Gen. Abiye Abebe
4. Leul Ras Asrat Kassa
5. Ras. Mesfin Sileshi
6. Lij Endalkachew Mekonnen
7. Ato. Abebe Reta
8. Ato. Akale Work Habte Wold
9. Dejazmach Kifle Ergettu
10.Lt. Col. Tamerat Yigezu
11. Lt. Gen. Kebede Gebre
12. Lt. Gen. Assefa Ayene
13. Ato. Mulatu Debale
14. Lt. Gen. Deressie Dubale
15. Lt. Gen. Debele Haile Mariam
16. Lt. Gen. Assefa Demissie
17. Lt. Gen. Abebe Gemeda
18. Lt. Gen. Yilma Shibeshi
19. Lt. Gen. Haile Biadgeligne
20. Lt. Gen. Belette Abebe
21.Dejazmach worknenesh Wolde Amannuel
22.Dejazmach Aemero Selassie Abebe
23.Dejazmach Solomon Abraha
24.Dejazmach Sahlu Defaye
25.Dejazmach Worku Enko Selassie
26. Dejazmach Legesse Bezu
27. Afe-Negues Abeje Debalke
28. Colonel Solomon Kedir
29. Blatta Admassu Retta
30. Dejazmach Kebede Ali Welle
31. Ato. Nebiye Leul Kifle
32. Ato. Solomon Gebre Mariam
33. Ato. Tegegne Yetesha Work
34. M/Gen. Gashaw Kebede
35. M/Gen. Seyoum Gedie Giorgis
36. M/Gen. Taffesse Lemma
37. Lij. Hailu Desta
38. Fitawrari Amede Aberra
39. Fitawrari Demis Alamirew
40. Kegnazmach Yilma Aboye
41. B/Gen. Girma Yohannes
42. B/Gen. Wendimu Abebe
43. B/Gen. Mulugetta Wolde Yohannes
44. Colonel Yalem Zewdie Tesemma
45. Colonel Tassew Mojo
46. Major Birhanu Mecha
47. Captain Demissie Shiferaw
48. Lt. Gen. Isaias Gebre Selassie
49. Dr. Tesfaye Gebre Egzi
50. Lt. Gen. Aman Michael Andom
51. Colonel Yigezu Yemane
52. Fitawari Tadesse Enko Selassie
53.Ato. Hailu Teklu
54. Captain Belaye Tsegaye
55. Captain Wolde Yohannes Zeegaw
56. Captain Molla Wakene
57. Lieut. Tesefaye Tekie
58. Junior Ekman Yohannes Fetwi
59. Sub-Corpral Tekle Haile
60. Private Bekele Wolde Giorgis.
And many more………..Monday, Dec. 09, 1974 Massacre in the Night.
Tell me if they deserve forgiveness. What can you tell for those who lost their family? What you teach the next generation? Mass murder is only cost you 20 years in prison and then we will be forgiven according Ethiopian law. Every action has its own price. There are people who deserve forgiveness not these mass killers. Thank you.
Pardon, clemency…..etc….. Really??
There are crimes that may need all of the above but not systemic, deliberate and planed massacre of young women, men, and children.
Justice should trump all justifications be it reconciliation and political expediency. Who gave the EPRDF or Meles the right to chip away on the verdict and punishment of this magnitude. The justice system found the crime committed by these gangsters egregious and inhumane. Their brutality and vicious act meted on the defenceless people of Ethiopia has become comparable to the worst crimes against humanity registered in the world.
Clemency in such acts of vengeful, inhumane crimes is unthinkable elsewhere but in Ethiopia where the poor counts for nothing.
Why was it, the man who killed Hayolom was executed for that matter with out a right to appeal? How about the tegadalay who killed Kinfe?
what they couldn’t have served 20 years and come out better rehabilitated than these tugs? The only thing I can think of is that they did not have the money, power or contact to be able to stir the wheel of “justice”. I have always been supporting the government and explaining away their insensitivity and ill thought actions on many occasions but from this on I feel and truly believe that the EPRDF is no less harmful than the Derg and it is time to fight to get rid of it.
Dearest Aiga:
Many thanks for opening this medium so that readers can reflect differing opinions on the recent rather shocking news. Although the government has not made official statements, sixteen of the Durg members and/or officials have been freed.
Rightly so, many people are discussing if the decision to free the convicted criminals was done adhering to the law within the Ethiopian constitution or just a political act. Most governments (democratic/dictatorial) seldom/ often take similar actions. And the rational for so doing is, they say, for the collective goodness of the people/country.
The dictatorial Myanmar (Burma) government, for instance, is freeing thousands of prisoners under amnesty decree. Last week the US government killed a US citizen suspected of committing or planning to commit terrorist acts. The US constitution grants to all of its citizen due process, including the presumption of innocence until the accused is proven guilty through the court of laws. This tenet has been in the sacrosanct legal document for over 200 years. Yet, for political reasons, the government infrequently takes questionable actions superseding the constitution for the “good of the country (people).” The legality of such action and what qualifies the “good of the country” to justify questionable acts leads to endless compelling arguments from both sides, it is a reality we witness in many countries.
The only guarantor for (social) justice is the forthright application of the provisions stated in the constitution. The released former officials were accused of Crimes against Humanity and have gotten all the rights they are entitled. They had lawyers and counsels to defend them, eye witness and material evidences were presented to prove and finally the court found them guilty and condemned them to capital punishment.
Because Article 28 (1) of the constitution clearly stipulates that “ Criminal liability of persons who commit crimes against humanity, so defined by international agreements ratified by Ethiopia and by other laws of Ethiopia, such as genocide, summary executions, forcible disappearances or torture shall not be barred by statute of limitation. Such offences may not be commuted by amnesty or pardon of the legislature or any other state organ,” the convicted criminals are unqualified for pardon or amnesty. But because (2) of the same article explicitly states that …”In the case of persons convicted of any crime stated in sub-article 1 of this article and sentenced with the death penalty, the Head of State may, without prejudice to the provisions here in above, commute the punishment to life imprisonment,” the president of the country changed the death penalty into life imprisonment. Doing this was constitutional.
The constitution overtly states that any one convicted of CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY CAN NOT GET AMNESTY OR PARDON. If so, where does the branch of the government get the mandate to free them? If it is done as a political decision for the good of the country, what good is Ethiopia going to get?
The conviction of the former Durg officials was not based on belies, anger, vendetta or vengeance but on the solid ground of the law. Words can not fully describe to the enormity of the nefarious crimes perpetrated – all in the name of Ethiopia. Knowing the 20 years prison term they served is incomparable to the gruesome evils they inflicted upon hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians, forgiveness cannot occur in the absence of justice.
As the enormous grief and irrevocable loses of the hundreds of thousands of innocent victims continues, the consecrated legal document is proved not on moral ground but only on its functionality in dispensing justice.
Abelxyz,
Thank you for your well constructed and informative commentary. To be honest with you I would have loved if the government/president office comes out and says it has all the constitutional power to reduce the penalty from death to life in prison. But it won’t because it does not think it needs to explain to any one and it does not think it has a constitutional backing! Let me paraphrase and speak for the deaf government, if you allow me… The government knows pretty well by any stretch of the imagination or ‘lawyering’ article 28 cannot be used as the bases for the release of these criminals! The president can reduce the sentencing, may be..! But cannot short-circuit article 28 which clearly tells him he cannot free or pardon.
The argument that once these convicts sentencing is reduce to life imprisonment they are entitled to the benefits of life in prison brings is bogus. These people were not convicted for life imprisonment but death and were not convicted for regular crime but against humanity! We know the government cannot explain this dirty job thus why it is in a no see no hear room but tizbet nuw terfu.
If they think we should leave them alone since they know better and they are the best defenders of the constitution since they wrote it, I have news for them. Dr Negasso, Siye and OLF was also in the same shoe and look where they are today and what they are doing to the constitution! In short Ethiopians want to have a country, a civil country where rule of law is supreme. The constitution is written in blood, and it is our brother and sitters blood thus have the obligation to cry foul when we see their blood cheapen. That is all, otherwise let us move on, we have others things to do also, like winning the fight against poverty! Thanks
Aiga,
Thank you for facilitating this online discussion. I lost two of my childhood friends for red terror. My negative feeling to this issue should be obvious. However, I choose to respect the legal process and rule of law. The Ethiopian people elected this government and I have a sense that the majority of the population supports the government’s conciliatory judicial approach. The challenge is to ensure that this does not happen again. That is why it is important for Ethiopian society to develop a culture of respect for legal process and rule of law.