Birtukan Mideksa is our 2008 Negarit Ethiopia’s Person of the Year. Here is why.
Courtesy of: Bloomberg (January 8, 2009)
While she was working for the federal judiciary, Mideksa was appointed to be a judge at the 3rd district court of the court. During that time, she presided over a high profile case of the former defense minister and top ranking official of TPLF, Siye Abraha. She set the defendant free on bail just to be surprised by the government authorities arrested him minutes later while he was walking out of the court accompanied by his family and friends. Later on, she got several warnings and threats from government security agents which proved her clearly that independence of the judiciary was only on papers.
Later, Britukan decided to join a political party to bring about a fast change in the country, including superiority of the rule of law, and a full respect and implementation of the constitution which proved first hand not in place while serving as a judge. She joined RAINBOW party and later CUDP after a coalition of four parties. After election 2005, at which her party won, and the governing party started to round opposition party leaders including her. They spent two years in prison and were freed in late 2007. She later founded UDJ (Unity for Democracy and Justice) with the same principles followed by CUDP. The need for having the new party name came from the fact that the ruling party's election commission awarded to a splinter group from CUDP (aka Kinijit). Birtukan is elected to be a chairperson of the UDJ party which has a motto of bringing about change in Ethiopia in a peaceful means.
EPRDF jailed Birtukan for life on Dec. 29 following a dispute with the government, mainly due to her unadulterated commitment to bring change. As of know our information shows that Birtkuan is in her 10th day of a hunger strike. Birtukan Mideksa, 34, has been taking only juice and water and is being held in solitary confinement in a windowless 3-meter by 4-meter (10-foot by 13-foot) cell in Ethiopia’s Kaliti prison. Prison officials have banned all visitors except her mother and 3-year-old daughter. Her family had been unable to hire a lawyer for her because those contacted on her behalf have turned her down as a client, fearing government reprisals. Birtukan, a leader of the now-dissolved Coalition for Unity and Democracy party, was first jailed after Ethiopia’s 2005 elections, in which the CUD claimed victory. She and dozens of other opposition leaders were sentenced to life in prison, though they were released in 2007 after a pardon agreement with the government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.
She was re-arrested Dec. 29 after she rejected government demands that she make a public statement saying she had formally requested the original pardon. ‘Humane Condition’ Bereket Simon, an adviser to Zenawi, said he wasn’t aware of Mideksa’s fast. “We have a prison system whereby we hold prisoners in a humane condition,” Simon said. “This is a case where she has said that she didn’t ask for pardon and the decision of the judiciary is being applied. At this point, I don’t think it requires intervention by lawyers.” Simon also said the government wasn’t interested in potential mediation efforts by the independent group that negotiated Mideksa’s initial release. Following their release in 2007, some former CUD leaders chose exile in the U.S. or U.K. Mideksa stayed in Ethiopia and formed a new party that planned to contest the 2010 elections. “Look what has happened to her,” said Berhanu Nega, who along with Mideksa led the CUD movement in 2005, in a phone interview from Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The government “will never allow any peaceful transition in that country.” The U.S., which views Ethiopia as a key ally in the fight against terrorism, offered a rare rebuke to Zenawi’s government following Mideksa’s arrest, warning Ethiopia to avoid steps that appear to “criminalize dissent.”
Courtesy of: Bloomberg (January 8, 2009)
While she was working for the federal judiciary, Mideksa was appointed to be a judge at the 3rd district court of the court. During that time, she presided over a high profile case of the former defense minister and top ranking official of TPLF, Siye Abraha. She set the defendant free on bail just to be surprised by the government authorities arrested him minutes later while he was walking out of the court accompanied by his family and friends. Later on, she got several warnings and threats from government security agents which proved her clearly that independence of the judiciary was only on papers.
Later, Britukan decided to join a political party to bring about a fast change in the country, including superiority of the rule of law, and a full respect and implementation of the constitution which proved first hand not in place while serving as a judge. She joined RAINBOW party and later CUDP after a coalition of four parties. After election 2005, at which her party won, and the governing party started to round opposition party leaders including her. They spent two years in prison and were freed in late 2007. She later founded UDJ (Unity for Democracy and Justice) with the same principles followed by CUDP. The need for having the new party name came from the fact that the ruling party's election commission awarded to a splinter group from CUDP (aka Kinijit). Birtukan is elected to be a chairperson of the UDJ party which has a motto of bringing about change in Ethiopia in a peaceful means.
EPRDF jailed Birtukan for life on Dec. 29 following a dispute with the government, mainly due to her unadulterated commitment to bring change. As of know our information shows that Birtkuan is in her 10th day of a hunger strike. Birtukan Mideksa, 34, has been taking only juice and water and is being held in solitary confinement in a windowless 3-meter by 4-meter (10-foot by 13-foot) cell in Ethiopia’s Kaliti prison. Prison officials have banned all visitors except her mother and 3-year-old daughter. Her family had been unable to hire a lawyer for her because those contacted on her behalf have turned her down as a client, fearing government reprisals. Birtukan, a leader of the now-dissolved Coalition for Unity and Democracy party, was first jailed after Ethiopia’s 2005 elections, in which the CUD claimed victory. She and dozens of other opposition leaders were sentenced to life in prison, though they were released in 2007 after a pardon agreement with the government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.
She was re-arrested Dec. 29 after she rejected government demands that she make a public statement saying she had formally requested the original pardon. ‘Humane Condition’ Bereket Simon, an adviser to Zenawi, said he wasn’t aware of Mideksa’s fast. “We have a prison system whereby we hold prisoners in a humane condition,” Simon said. “This is a case where she has said that she didn’t ask for pardon and the decision of the judiciary is being applied. At this point, I don’t think it requires intervention by lawyers.” Simon also said the government wasn’t interested in potential mediation efforts by the independent group that negotiated Mideksa’s initial release. Following their release in 2007, some former CUD leaders chose exile in the U.S. or U.K. Mideksa stayed in Ethiopia and formed a new party that planned to contest the 2010 elections. “Look what has happened to her,” said Berhanu Nega, who along with Mideksa led the CUD movement in 2005, in a phone interview from Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The government “will never allow any peaceful transition in that country.” The U.S., which views Ethiopia as a key ally in the fight against terrorism, offered a rare rebuke to Zenawi’s government following Mideksa’s arrest, warning Ethiopia to avoid steps that appear to “criminalize dissent.”
Teddy “afro” Kassahun shares the Honor of Negarit Ethiopia’s Person of the Year with Birtukan. Here is why.
In 2001, Teddy released his second album, Abugida, named after the Abugida syllabary of the Ge'ez language. Several tracks quickly caught the ear of many listeners in Ethiopia - Halieselassie, a tribute to the late Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie I; Haile, Haile, a single in honor of the Olympic long distance champion Haile Gebrselassie; and Mona Lisa, a song about the measure of human beauty.
His third album, Yasteseryal, was released in 2005. The release of this album coincided with elevated political tension in Ethiopia surrounding the Ethiopian general election, 2005. His politically and socially inspired songs vibrated a call for unity and peace and made the 17 years of TPLF-led government in power concerned. Consequently the government banned four songs including "Yasteseryal" from playing on radios and TV (http://www.ethiopianreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=10689&p=53228 ). "Yasetseryal" claims that there is no real change in Ethiopia besides a new government, it also states that the Tigray People's Liberation Front(TPLF)fight against the fascist Derg is nothing but an infamous military junta. Listen a beautiful commentary about the song on National Public Radio (NPR)(http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10819101 ) The song was not welcomed by the government but greatly accepted by the people and became one of the best selling albums of the year .
As a revenge for his Yasteseryal, EPRDF implanted a serious case for Teddy. He was accused of being involved in a fatal car accident, Killing a man and DUI which occurred more than 18 months ago, and was imprisoned at Kality prison in Addis Ababa in April 2008. Teddy has pleaded not guilty to these allegations, and his court case and imprisonment have been national talking points in Ethiopia. On 1st December 2008 Afro was found guilty of running a man down in his car, driving away without reporting the incident, and driving without a license. The final verdict heard on December 5, 2008 and the judge ordered him to serve a six-year prison term and pay a fine of 18,000 Birr (apr. 1800 USD). Many Ethiopians see his imprisonment as TPLF-led government attack on symbols of Ethiopian unity and freedom of speech (http://articles.latimes.com/2008/aug/11/world/fg-ethiopia11 ).
In 2001, Teddy released his second album, Abugida, named after the Abugida syllabary of the Ge'ez language. Several tracks quickly caught the ear of many listeners in Ethiopia - Halieselassie, a tribute to the late Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie I; Haile, Haile, a single in honor of the Olympic long distance champion Haile Gebrselassie; and Mona Lisa, a song about the measure of human beauty.
His third album, Yasteseryal, was released in 2005. The release of this album coincided with elevated political tension in Ethiopia surrounding the Ethiopian general election, 2005. His politically and socially inspired songs vibrated a call for unity and peace and made the 17 years of TPLF-led government in power concerned. Consequently the government banned four songs including "Yasteseryal" from playing on radios and TV (http://www.ethiopianreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=10689&p=53228 ). "Yasetseryal" claims that there is no real change in Ethiopia besides a new government, it also states that the Tigray People's Liberation Front(TPLF)fight against the fascist Derg is nothing but an infamous military junta. Listen a beautiful commentary about the song on National Public Radio (NPR)(http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10819101 ) The song was not welcomed by the government but greatly accepted by the people and became one of the best selling albums of the year .
As a revenge for his Yasteseryal, EPRDF implanted a serious case for Teddy. He was accused of being involved in a fatal car accident, Killing a man and DUI which occurred more than 18 months ago, and was imprisoned at Kality prison in Addis Ababa in April 2008. Teddy has pleaded not guilty to these allegations, and his court case and imprisonment have been national talking points in Ethiopia. On 1st December 2008 Afro was found guilty of running a man down in his car, driving away without reporting the incident, and driving without a license. The final verdict heard on December 5, 2008 and the judge ordered him to serve a six-year prison term and pay a fine of 18,000 Birr (apr. 1800 USD). Many Ethiopians see his imprisonment as TPLF-led government attack on symbols of Ethiopian unity and freedom of speech (http://articles.latimes.com/2008/aug/11/world/fg-ethiopia11 ).
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