Ethiopia-Oromia: 17765 prisoners pardoned; critics dispute the terms
Jimma Times, Ethiopia - Sep 12, 2007
According to government sources, almost 18,000 prisoners were released before the millennium celebrations in Ethiopia. The ministry of information says pardon requested were processed via thorough procedures; including thru the Federal pardon Board before the releases. Most were inmates serving prison terms after being convicted of rape, murder, armed robbery and other criminal offenses.
The numbers from regional states were 6,942 prisoners from Oromia, 4,995 from the Southern state, 3,108 prisoners from Amhara state, 1,800 prisoners from Tigray state, 458 prisoners from Benishangul Gumuz state, 60 from Harari, 19 from Gambella and 383 from federal prisons. Even though the government said 35 of the released were members of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), critics from the region say there were no OLF members freed. Unconfirmed sources claim that government statements that there were political prisoners among the released were false ...