Obsa Ahmed (name changed for security reasons) was born and raised in a small village called Dogu, in Gurawa district, East Hararghe Zone. He is renowned for speaking out for and defending the rights of the Oromo people starting from his childhood. For this reason, he was arbitrarily detained several times both under the TPLF rule and under the current administration. He was severely physically injured by government security forces, who also seized his possessions from his home and kicked him out.
OLLAA staff recently spoke with him to find out about the specific human rights abuses he had experienced. He was illegally detained once under the TPLF regime and twice under the current administration. In 2018, government security forces arrested Obsa for the first time and held him in Gurawa town prison, where he remained for six months without even being brought before a court. During his time in custody, the security forces used to remove all his clothing and severely beat him. While being beaten in prison, he sustained a spinal cord injury, which left his legs paralyzed. In the meantime, due to the extreme injury he endured and inability to walk on his own, they released him from prison. He spent more than two years receiving medical care at the renowned Referral Hospital in Addis Ababa (Finfine). Although he was thankful to have survived, he was unable to fully recover.
In 2021, Obsa was once again arrested and held in prison for three months without any criminal charges brought against him in the same police station. His earlier injury recurred, leaving him paralyzed once more, necessitating his release from custody.
The government security forces accused him of organizing the local youth’s participation in a protest against the ruling party during the TPLF era and of supporting the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) during the current administration. Obsa, though, asserts he has no affiliation or connection to the OLA.
In the meantime, he resented the place where he grew up due to the persecution he was experiencing from government security forces, and decided to move to Harar City, buying his own house in 2022. After a while, the government security forces of Harari regional state entered his house and seized his belongings. Subsequently, they took him to the police station without a court warrant. He contacted all relevant authorities in an attempt to find a solution but was unsuccessful. His house was handed over to a third person by the security forces. The victim claimed that he is currently fighting for living accommodations and is very afraid for his life.
International Law
State parties are required to protect their citizens from violations of human rights and protect their right to liberty, a fair trial, housing, and property, in accordance with a number of international human rights treaties to which Ethiopia is a party, including the UDHR, ICCPR, CAT, and ACHPR. The right to liberty protects innocent civilians from being arbitrarily detained, tortured, or subjected to other cruel treatment.
The actions taken by Ethiopian security forces goes against the international instruments mentioned above. Therefore, the Ethiopian government must take responsibility as a state party.