EVN, Sept 15 — The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has raised concerns about the human rights situation of individuals in concentration camps and police stations in the Oromia region’s Sheger city. EHRC’s Director of Monitoring and Investigation for the Northern and Central Region, Ms. Selamawit Girmay, told reporters that efforts are underway to assess the situation of those arrested en masse.
Concerns have arisen on various social media platforms, alleging that numerous individuals have lost their lives due to an epidemic within the detention centers. When asked about fatalities during the epidemic, Ms. Selamawit Girmay stated that the situation was being monitored. Currently, the epidemic is under control. There are people who have passed away. There are also those who are undergoing treatment. She added that a comprehensive report would soon reveal the exact number of fatalities.
EHRC’s surveillance has focused on the human rights conditions of innocent individuals who were apprehended particularly in “Glan Sidama Awash.” In a statement provided to Tikvah, Ms. Selamawit Girmay detailed EHRC’s response to the reported arrests.
Selamawit mentioned that EHRC had received information regarding the arrests of innocent people in police stations and initiated surveillance on September 3, 2015, in Burauna and Sand Field. She noted that the epidemic of detentions in “Glan Sidama Awash” involved the mass apprehension of individuals from the streets and other locations. While the director did not provide specific details about the nature of the outbreak, she indicated that it had affected a detention center where over 4,000 individuals previously detained from the streets were present. EHRC, in coordination with the health office, was monitoring the situation.
Selamawit highlighted that among the individuals detained in the “Glan Sidama Awash” detention center, some had homes but were nonetheless apprehended from the streets en masse. EHRC reported that 29 innocent people, who were taken into custody by security forces while at home, have been released. Furthermore, it was noted that approximately 4,000 street children were detained in the detention center, with the majority subsequently released, leaving approximately 1,500 individuals awaiting release.
Regarding individuals reportedly taken and arrested in the Sidama region, Ms. Selamawit explained, “They went to Sidama Aposto school, and we have been monitoring them very closely for the last ten days.” She added, “They were sent back to the cities they came from, and claimed their properties”
