ADDIS ABAB: Ethiopia released two opposition party members and a lawyer close to the party without charges, one of their lawyers told AFP on Saturday, after they were arrested in August and accused of plotting “terrorist attacks.”
The release comes despite a growing crackdown on dissent in the sprawling country, which is frequently criticized by rights groups for suppressing critical voices.
Yisak Wolday, head of public relations for the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party (EPRP), EPRP member Abebe Akalu, and Abera Nigus, a lawyer who has represented several members of the opposition party, were arrested on August 3.
They were accused of “intent to seize power by force,” with a police charge sheet saying they had “planned and coordinated to carry out terrorist acts.”
“Two of them were released yesterday, and one this morning, all three were let go without any charges,” said Mebrihi Brhane, Abera’s lawyer, who spoke with the three men.
“They should have been released a long time ago,” he told AFP, saying the High Court had ordered their release on bail on August 4.
“But they were still held in prison illegally,” he said, “just to harass them.”
The EPRP had been among the most vocal critics of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party (PP) ahead of the June 1 elections, which were swept by the PP. The EPRP did not win any seats.
Ethiopia has been led by Abiy since 2018.
Initially praised as a reformer who would go on to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, he has recently faced criticism.
According to Reporters Without Borders, five journalists are currently being held in the country.