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Viewing cable 06ADDISABABA2527, ETHIOPIA: 10,000 PRISONERS RELEASED IN NEW YEARS

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06ADDISABABA2527 2006-09-18 11:11 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Addis Ababa
VZCZCXRO5881
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHDS #2527 2611111
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 181111Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2487
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS ADDIS ABABA 002527 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E 
LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM ET
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA: 10,000 PRISONERS RELEASED IN NEW YEARS 
GOODWILL GESTURE 
 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY On September 10, 2006, (New Years Eve in the 
Ethiopian calendar) the Ethiopian government granted pardons 
and reduced sentences for nearly 10,000 prisoners across 
Ethiopia.  This is the largest pardon ever granted in 
Ethiopia and reduces the prison population by 15 percent. 
All of those granted pardon had been convicted of crimes; 
very few would be considered political prisoners.  Despite 
the unprecedented number released, only a fraction of the 
total was publicized in the local media.  END SUMMARY 
 
2. (U) Though small scale pardons are normally granted 
throughout the year in Ethiopia, a release of prisoners of 
this magnitude has never occurred.  In fact, this is only the 
third time that the GoE has granted mass pardons and the 
first time under the current government (Under Halie Selassie 
1,183 prisoners were granted pardons in 1956 and 1958 and the 
Derg regime released 209 in 1976).  This mass pardon was 
largely the result of sustained advocacy efforts led by 
Pastor Daniel Gebraselassie (Pastor Dan), director of Justice 
for All ) Prison Fellowship Ethiopia.  Prison Fellowship is 
a non-profit organization based in Addis Ababa that advocates 
improvements in the overall administration of justice in 
Ethiopia.  Pastor Dan is a widely respected, non-partisan 
prison rights advocate, and is a member of the federal pardon 
board that weekly considers pardon requests from prisoners. 
The Minister of Justice Assefa Kessito chairs this board, and 
all proposed pardons are approved by the President of 
Ethiopia, according to the pardons procedure law enacted in 
2004.  A similar structure exists in each region to decide 
regional pardons. 
 
3. (SBU) According to Pastor Dan, prior to the release, there 
were approximately 70,000 people were incarcerated in 
Ethiopia, which the prison administration strains to manage. 
Of the 10,000 released, 263 were federal prisoners and were 
granted pardons by the federal pardon board. The bulk of the 
pardons were granted by regional pardon boards: 3,995 were 
granted pardon in Amhara; 2,435 in Oromiya; 1,100 in Tigray; 
and 43 in Gambella.  In a September 14 briefing for the local 
diplomatic community, Pastor Dan announced an additional 
2,400 will be pardoned soon in the Southern Nations region. 
He indicated that all of the 10,000 released have been 
convicted of criminal offenses (as required by the pardon 
procedure law); few could be considered political prisoners. 
For the prisoners that received pardons, several criteria 
were used: a prisoner that had already served a significant 
portion of his or her sentence;  those over 60 years old; 
prisoners with HIV/AIDS.  Several inmates on death row had 
their sentences changed to life in prison.  Those convicted 
of corruption, rape or genocide (from the Derg regime) were 
not considered for pardon.  Though the federal pardon was 
widely publicized, the regional pardons were not announced in 
the national (primarily state-sponsored) media, and therefore 
remain unknown to the general public. 
 
4. (SBU) Of the remaining 60,000 prisoners in the Ethiopian 
prison system, Pastor Dan estimates there to be 450 political 
prisoners in Oromiya, primarily from the Oromo Liberation 
Front (OLF), and 200 political prisoners in the Addis Ababa 
federal prison.  He reported that 232 lower-level Coalition 
for Unity and Democracy Party (CUDP) members had been in 
prison in the Amhara region, but were released during June 
2006 in a goodwill gesture by the GoE, leaving no political 
prisoners in Amhara.  Pastor Dan reported that the GOE has 
shown increasing interest in reconciling with political 
opposition at the grassroots level, which provided 
opportunity for his organization to petition for release of 
political prisoners. He continues to work with the GoE on 
release of those political prisoners still in detained in the 
Oromiya and Addis Ababa prison systems. 
 
5. (SBU) COMMENT: While these pardons represent a genuine 
harmonization achievement for Pastor Dan and the GoE, they 
will have little impact on political reconciliation more 
broadly.  The GoE reportedly declined to offer pardons this 
time around to higher profile Oromo political prisoners from 
the OLF and Mecha Tulema Association, a gesture that would 
have a much greater impact.  Most eyes, of course, remain 
focused on the fate of the CUD leaders still on trial for 
treason.  Pastor Dan's organization and the process 
established may still bear more fruit in the future. 
WILGUS