Politicians to be freed, acquitted of charges
In a joint briefing they gave to the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) and Ethiopian News Agency (ENA), the chairpersons of the four member parties of the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) announced today that the infamous detention and investigation center a.k.a. Maekelawi will be closed.
The briefing by Hailemariam Dessalegn, chairman of the Southern Ethiopian Peoples’ Democratic Movement (SEPDM) and the EPRDF, Demeke Mekonnen chairman of the Amhara National Democratic Movement (ANDM) and deputy chairman of the EPRDF, Lemma Megersa, chairman of the Oromo People’s Democratic Organization (OPDO) and Debretsion Gebremichael (PhD), chairman of the Tigriyan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) came following the self-criticizing communiqué the party released after its intensive 17-day meeting.
The detention center, which has been in use since the time of the Derg, will be transformed into a modern museum, according to Hailemariam. The investigative body that used to use Maekelawi will be moved to a new building.
It was also stated that “as part of the process of building a better national consensus and widening the democratic space, it has been decided that politicians and other individuals will be acquitted of their charges while detainees will be freed.”