Prisoners in Kilinto say they are “on the verge of death”
ESAT English News » Prisoners in Kilinto say they are “on the verge of death”
ESAT News July 22, 2013
After sixty-nine prisoners in Kilinto Prison, who are charged under the file of Teshale Korne, were severely beaten by Prison Administrators and since they did not eat for consecutive days, the prisoners have said that they are now on the verge of death.
In their letter, the prisoners said soldiers of the Ethiopian Defense Forces have beaten them with steel rods.
Last week, ESAT reported that the prisoners had said that they were arrested for over two years without getting any justice; thus the prisoners began collecting signatures of complaint to be sent to Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn. The Prison Administration that later learned about the signature collection process divided the 69 prisoners into groups and transferred them to different prisons and zones.
The head of Kilinto Prison, nicknamed Shabia, then ordered the prisoners to remain in their cells and got them severely beaten by Federal Police officers that were brought in from outside. Later on, eighteen prisoners that were alleged to be the organizers of the signature collection were selected brought outside their cells and were assailed by the butt of a gun and sticks. Eight of them lost their consciousness; they had been taken into the Prison’s Medical Centre. They were later on taken to hospital by an ambulance as the Prison’s Medical Centre declared it was beyond its capacity. Witnesses told ESAT that the place where the prisoners were beaten was filled with blood. Prison staffers were later seen washing the floor to clean the blood.
The Head Officer of the Prison, Embaye Sna aka Shabia, had said to the prisoners who wrote a complaint letter to higher leaders of the government that he has the right to even kill them “unless you behave, we will gun you down. We do not also care if you start a hunger strike” the Head told the Prisoners.
The prisoners have stated that they have not eaten for the past four days and are in a critical condition hence they beseeched Ethiopians and all concerned bodies to immediately aid them.
Kejela Gelana Gebisa, Belay Korme Bayisa, Teferi Kebne Gemechu, Mulat Shimels Ajeta, Ibsa Ahmed Muhamed, Shemsedin and Mengistu Girma were among those that have been brutally beaten and later received medical attention. On the other hand, Lemesa Disesa, Alemu Teshome Boke, Zerfu Melka Abay, Kebeta Gebisa Bebara, Kebeta Negasa Negera, Melkamu Megersa, Adamu Shiferaw, Bulcha Surisa, Getachew Abera Tolosa, Seleshi Soresa, Alemayehu Tolora, Bersisa Limu, Berhanu Emeru, Urkuna Ajema, Ahmed Abdela Goda, Lema Bedada and MP Gutu Woldesa are among those that have been assailed.
Following the plea of these prisoners, accused in suspicion of connections with the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), ESAT attempted to contact the Ethiopian Red Cross office in Addis Abeba, though to no avail as our phone calls were not responded. Berhane Haileselassie, Director of the Prisoners’ Justice Administration, did not respond to our calls too.
ESAT has learnt that Shabia, the Head of Kilinto Prison, has been committing similar cruelty and crimes against prisoners.
After sixty-nine prisoners in Kilinto Prison, who are charged under the file of Teshale Korne, were severely beaten by Prison Administrators and since they did not eat for consecutive days, the prisoners have said that they are now on the verge of death.
In their letter, the prisoners said soldiers of the Ethiopian Defense Forces have beaten them with steel rods.
Last week, ESAT reported that the prisoners had said that they were arrested for over two years without getting any justice; thus the prisoners began collecting signatures of complaint to be sent to Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn. The Prison Administration that later learned about the signature collection process divided the 69 prisoners into groups and transferred them to different prisons and zones.
The head of Kilinto Prison, nicknamed Shabia, then ordered the prisoners to remain in their cells and got them severely beaten by Federal Police officers that were brought in from outside. Later on, eighteen prisoners that were alleged to be the organizers of the signature collection were selected brought outside their cells and were assailed by the butt of a gun and sticks. Eight of them lost their consciousness; they had been taken into the Prison’s Medical Centre. They were later on taken to hospital by an ambulance as the Prison’s Medical Centre declared it was beyond its capacity. Witnesses told ESAT that the place where the prisoners were beaten was filled with blood. Prison staffers were later seen washing the floor to clean the blood.
The Head Officer of the Prison, Embaye Sna aka Shabia, had said to the prisoners who wrote a complaint letter to higher leaders of the government that he has the right to even kill them “unless you behave, we will gun you down. We do not also care if you start a hunger strike” the Head told the Prisoners.
The prisoners have stated that they have not eaten for the past four days and are in a critical condition hence they beseeched Ethiopians and all concerned bodies to immediately aid them.
Kejela Gelana Gebisa, Belay Korme Bayisa, Teferi Kebne Gemechu, Mulat Shimels Ajeta, Ibsa Ahmed Muhamed, Shemsedin and Mengistu Girma were among those that have been brutally beaten and later received medical attention. On the other hand, Lemesa Disesa, Alemu Teshome Boke, Zerfu Melka Abay, Kebeta Gebisa Bebara, Kebeta Negasa Negera, Melkamu Megersa, Adamu Shiferaw, Bulcha Surisa, Getachew Abera Tolosa, Seleshi Soresa, Alemayehu Tolora, Bersisa Limu, Berhanu Emeru, Urkuna Ajema, Ahmed Abdela Goda, Lema Bedada and MP Gutu Woldesa are among those that have been assailed.
Following the plea of these prisoners, accused in suspicion of connections with the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), ESAT attempted to contact the Ethiopian Red Cross office in Addis Abeba, though to no avail as our phone calls were not responded. Berhane Haileselassie, Director of the Prisoners’ Justice Administration, did not respond to our calls too.
ESAT has learnt that Shabia, the Head of Kilinto Prison, has been committing similar cruelty and crimes against prisoners.
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