OLLAA has received a credible report regarding the arbitrary detention of Seyume Olani and his family in West Shewa Zone, Oromia. According to our source, the family was arrested because Ethiopian security forces believed Seyume’s son was a member of The Oromo Liberation Front (OLA).
On the evening of February 13, 2022 Seyume was at home with his family, including both his wife and young children, as well as two of his brothers and nephews who had come to visit them for the day. They were approached by members of the Ethiopian military who ordered him to produce one of his sons, a 25-year-old man who no longer lived with Seyume, or else they would kill him. Seyume informed the soldiers that his son had left town and traveled to Addis Ababa in search of work. He then told the soldiers that his son was an adult and that he could not be held responsible for his actions.
Instead of leaving, the soldiers arrested Seyume, along with six members of his family. They were taken to Raggasa Bulto secondary school, which is closed, and operating as a military camp. They eventually released Seyume’s wife and youngest son, and transferred Seyume and four members of his family–Alemu Olani (30), Dereje Olani (25), Diribsa Suyeme (18), and Abi Kassa’e (17)–to a facility in Gojo town.
According to our source, following an appeal from the Seyume family, a court issued an order for their release. Unfortunately, the police refused to obey the court order and release them. They have now been detained for three months, have not had an opportunity to appear before the court, and have not been allowed to see their families.
Seyume, who is in his 40s, runs a butcher shop in Shukute town, Jeldu district, Shukute town. He has eight children, and is the sole provider for his family, including three of his brothers’ children, who are orphaned. Since he has been detained, the children who were left behind are struggling to eat and survive.
International Law:
As laid out in article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the right to liberty protects citizens from arbitrary arrest and detentions, which are arrests and detentions that are not in accordance with the procedures established by law. Detained individuals also have certain rights, including to be brought promptly before a judge or court, so that the judge can rule on the lawfulness of their arrest or detention. In addition, international law protects an detained individual’s right to communicate with and receive visits from their family. These rights are also protected in the Ethiopian constitution.