Former Ethiopia Citizens for Social Justice party chairperson, Yeshiwas Assefa, was arrested by the police at 7:00 PM on May 31, 2024, from his residence in the Kazanchis area of Addis Ababa.
According to Asham TV, he was arrested by Addis Ababa police. Meanwhile, Nathanael Mekonnen, one of the coordinators of the November peaceful demonstration, was released from prison today.
Yeshiwas Assefa was the coordinator of the November peaceful demonstration. Three days before the demonstration, several coordinators, including Abraham Haimanot, Gidena Medehin, Nathanael Mekonen, and other politicians and lawyers, were arrested. However, Mr. Yeshiwas was not among those arrested at that time.
The coordinators arrested in November 2023 were released after nearly four months of detention at Awash Arba, while Nathanael Mekonnen was released today.
Asham TV reports that among the rally coordinators, Ethiopia People Revolution Party (EPRP) President Zinabu Abera has been arrested and is currently held in Awash Arba prison.
Despite Yeshiwas Assefa’s release yesterday, there is no indication of his participation in a political party since he left his party Ethiopia Citizens for Social Justice party a year ago.
Instead, he has been sharing his views through various media outlets. As of the time of this report, the government institution has not made any statement regarding Yeshiwas Assefa’s arrest.
The conflict in the Amhara region began after the federal government decided to “reorganize” the regional special forces a year ago.
This conflict took place between government security forces and Fano militants. Following the escalation of the conflict, a six-month state of emergency was declared in the Amhara region.
Although the state of emergency was declared in the Amhara region, government security forces are arresting politicians and journalists nationwide, citing the implementation of the state of emergency.
Reports from local and international humanitarian institutions indicate that government security forces are subjecting citizens to mass arrests, forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and other violations.
The state of emergency, announced in August 2023, has been extended for another four months, and there are only a few days left until its completion. International human rights institutions and Western countries, including the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, have reported that innocent citizens have been killed in repeated drone attacks in the Amhara region.
