Name: The World Organisation Against Torture
Price range: $

At a glance

Torture in Ethiopia is a systemic and widespread issue, despite the country being a State Party to the Convention against Torture since 1994. Numerous, ongoing and consistent allegations concerning the routine use of torture by the police, prison staff and military forces are frequently reported, in particular against political dissidents and opposition party members, students, alleged terrorism suspect or supporters of insurgent groups. This violence committed by security forces includes rape and other forms of sexual violence against women and girls. The repression is violent and the government completely fails in its duty to investigate cases and prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes, who continue to act with complete impunity.The OMCT continues to report numerous cases of arbitrary arrests, illegal prolonged detention and unfair trails of journalists and other critics of the government and fights against the repression of the organisations that denounce human rights abuses in the country.

After ten dark years, a process of socio-political transformation, sparked by the resignation of former Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn in 2018, has opened the way to a process of reforms that has included the release of several human rights defenders and political prisoners, the signing of a peace agreement with Eritrea, and the appointment of the first woman President of Ethiopia and President of the Supreme Court. It has also seen a slow reopening of the operational space for civil society organisations in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia

At a glance

Related resources

Ethiopia: Impunity for torture during the Tigray war

Ethiopia: Torture has worsened with the return of war

Ethiopia: Arbitrary detention of four Ethiopian Human Rights Council members

Ethiopia: Decades of impunity for perpetrators have created a torture-prone system

The 2019 CSO Law: Winds of change for human rights defenders in Ethiopia?

A new era for human rights organisations?

Address restrictions in draft CSO Proclamation and protect freedom of association

22nd session of the Human Rights Council: Joint oral intervention under Item 3

Our Network Members Working in this Area

Ethiopian Human Rights Council

Asia & the Pacific

Europe & Central Asia

Middle East & North Africa

Africa

Americas