ETHIOPIAN ACTIVISTS IN COURT NOVEMBER 30TH AGAIN TO HEAR VERDICT IN TREASON TRIAL

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

29-11-07– Anti-poverty activists Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie who have faced several court delays to date, are scheduled to hear the verdict on treason related charges tomorrow FrIday, November 30th. If found guilty, they could face life imprisonment or death sentences.

“Justice delayed is justice denied,” Said Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General of CIVICUS and Chair of Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP). “Sadly, these two activists are being tried for their commitment to bettering the lives of the people of Ethiopia. We all stand in solidarity with them” he added.

Daniel and Netsanet, both coordinators of the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) in Ethiopia, are the last two accused in the high profile Ethiopian treason trial that originally charged 131 politicians, journalists, organisations and civil society leaders. They have been detained since November 2005, on allegations of conspiracy to overthrow the government, specifically, “outrage against the constitution and constitutional order.”

Originally scheduled to give the verdict on October 8th, the High Court in Addis Ababa delayed it until November 22nd when again they delayed on the grounds one of the judges was ill in hospital.

-ENDS-

For more information or interviews, please contact:
Julie Middleton, Programme Communications Associate, Civil Society Watch, CIVICUS Tel: 27 11 833-5959, ext. 123 Julie.middleton@civicus.org

Ciara O’Sullivan, GCAP Media Coordinator at Tel: +34 679 594 809, ciara.osullivan@civicus.org

For more information on CIVICUS: www.civicus.org

For more information on GCAP Stand Up and Speak Out on 17 October: www.whiteband.org