ETHIOPIA:Ethiopia has pardoned 38 opposition leaders, activists and journalists days after they were given lengthy jail terms for their role in mass protests after a disputed election two years ago.
The group includes the mayor-elect of Addis Ababa and the leader of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy party, which accused the government of stealing the vote. They were arrested in a clampdown that saw 193 civilians killed by police and tens of thousands of people detained.
On Monday last the federal high court in Addis Ababa ended the prisoners' 14-month trial by sentencing 30 of them to life imprisonment for "outrages against the constitution", with the rest receiving terms of between one year and 18 years.
"The pardon is total. They are being freed with their constitutional rights restored," the prime minister, Meles Zenawi, told parliament yesterday. "We believe that the sorry saga of the Orange Revolution is fully behind us."
In return for clemency, the defendants agreed to sign a letter admitting that they had made mistakes. Within hours of gaining his freedom, however, CUD leader Hailu Shawel told journalists that the document had been signed under duress and that he had nothing to apologise for.
Amnesty International remains concerned about the fate of 10 others still on trial, including Daniel Bekele of the NGO Action Aid and Netsanet Demissie of the Organisation for Social Justice in Ethiopia. They refused to sign the letter. - (Guardian service)