OLLAA has spoken to credible sources on the ground regarding the detention and torture of Kulani Imana.
Kulani Bagire Imana was born and raised in Dambi Dollo, in the Qellam Wollega zone of the Oromia region, and later studied at Dambi Dollo Univeristy. At the time of her arrest, she had moved to the town of Burayu, where she had started a business.
On June 21, 2020, she was arrested by Ethiopian government security forces and taken to the Burayu city police prison facilities, where, our sources allege, she was subjected to torture and inhumane treatment, which rendered her unconscious for a day. The following day, the Ethiopian security personnel transported her to an unofficial detention center near Sidist kilo, a suburb of Addis Ababa/Finfine. There, our sources allege Kulani suffered more severe forms of torture and ill treatment.
After interrogating her in several prison sites, the Ethiopian government eventually filed charges against Kulani, claiming that she had been supporting OLA, in part, due to her possession of a satellite phone. The Sululta Division of the Oromia High Court found her guilty of the charges and sentenced her to four years of imprisonment.
Today, Kulani is serving her sentence at the Dalati prison facility in Sebata city, Oromia. Our sources claim that, as a result of the torture and mistreatment she experienced when she was first detained, she is in need of medical treatment. However, they claim she has not been able to access proper medical care as the prison administration has refused to take her to her external appointments with doctors at the hospital, and have also refused her access to the medications that were prescribed to her.
International Law
Kulani was subjected to torture and inhumane treatment. Under international law, States have the duty to ensure that persons deprived of their liberty are treated with respect for the inherent dignity of the person (ICCPR article 10) and are not subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (CAT).
The right of detained persons to access medical care has its basis in the right of all persons deprived of their liberty to be treated with humanity and respect to the inherent dignity of the person (ICCPR article 10), as well as in article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which sets out that all persons have the right “to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.” In addition, the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules) set out that States have a responsibility to provide health care for its prisoners, and that “Prisoners should enjoy the same standards of health care that are available in the community, and should have access to necessary health-care services free of charge without discrimination on the grounds of their legal status.”
These rights are also protected under the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, which Ethiopia is a party to.