Mome F (name changed for security reason), 50, was born and raised in Ferekesa Village, Merti Woreda, Arsi Zone. He is a farmer, a father of six and the sole breadwinner of his family.
In December 2022, he was arbitrarily arrested without an arrest warrant. It was alleged by the security forces that he was backing the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). Having operated in the area since 2020, the OLA usually attacks the government security forces using guerrilla warfare. In small-scale actions taken against the orthodox military and police forces, guerilla tactics avoid head-on confrontations and instead engage in limited skirmishes, the goal being to exhaust adversaries. Needing a place from which to launch these surprise attacks, militants usually hide in rural areas, and Ferekesa is one of them. It was against this background that Mome was arrested by the government security forces.
According to article 19(3) of the Ethiopian constitution, persons arrested have the right to be brought before a court within 48 hours of their arrest. However, not only was Mome not brought before the court in that period, he was locked in prison for two months. However, because authorities could not find a single piece of evidence showing his collaboration with the OLA, he was ultimately freed.
Innocent civilians are regularly arrested in Abomsa Town on allegations that they have a relationship with the OLA. They are routinely denied the right to defend themselves in a court of law.
International Law
The right against arbitrary arrest is acknowledged as a human right by a host of international conventions to which Ethiopia is a party, including the UDHR, ICCPR and ACHPR, and the FDRE Constitution. However, Mome was arbitrarily arrested and imprisoned for more than two months. This is against international human rights agreements and the Ethiopian Constitution. Hence, OLLAA urges the Ethiopian government to protect the rights of its citizens and implement the human rights conventions to which it is a state party.