Falls Church, Virginia—Last week, the Ethiopian regional government in Oromia conducted the extrajudicial killing of a ninth-grade boy, Amanuel Wondimu Kebede.
View or download this press release (PDF)
This appalling murder occurred in Dembi Dollo, Amanuel’s hometown, where soldiers forced local residents—including Amanuel’s own parents—to attend his public execution. In the town center, in full view of his neighbors, friends, and family, Amanuel was shot to death by Oromia Special Forces. He was just 14 years old.
While each life lost is heartbreaking, OLLAA is particularly outraged by the loss of Amanuel, and all children whose lives were cruelly cut short by the Ethiopian government.
In a subsequent BBC interview, a regional government official admitted that security forces publicly murdered Amanuel without granting his constitutional right to a trial or due process of the law. Soldiers claim that Amanuel belonged to a local armed group and was a “criminal.”
Regardless of whether Amanuel did commit a crime, all citizens must receive the following:
- A fair and speedy trial and access to a judge prior to sentencing.
- Presumption of innocence and effective legal representation
- Protection from torture or cruel and inhumane punishment
These rights are guaranteed by the Ethiopian Constitution, as well as the country’s obligations under international law.
Additionally, the execution of minors is expressly prohibited under international law and represents a grave violation of human rights and dignity.
The Ethiopian government must face consequences for this unspeakable act of cruelty. OLLAA urges the United Nations, United States, and European Union to swifty condemn the murder of Amanuel and demand justice for his family. The international community must investigate this killing, along with Ethiopia’s ongoing rights abuses in Tigray, Oromia, Amhara and other regions of the country.
Email or call your elected officials and urge them to act now.
OLLAA is an umbrella organization that represents dozens of Oromo communities around the world.