Dear
I first came to know about you back in 2004, during the US presidential election, when you were running for office against George Bush. At just 17 years old I knew little about US politics – or politics in general – but I discussed the campaigns with my schoolmates.
A year later, the
After the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front realised they couldn’t win the election without rigging the vote, the true face of the regime emerged.
After polling day, we saw
I was only young then, but the election gave me my first real experience of politics. It also left me with a strong desire to follow the repressive situation that was unfolding in
It was this interest and commitment that led my friends and I to form the bloggers’ and pro-democracy activist group we called Zone 9.
The birth of Zone 9
All nine members of the blogging group are young and passionate about encouraging Ethiopia’s democrac
We aimed to create a platform for Ethiopian youth to discuss political, economic and social issues when we launched our blog, with the motto, “we blog because we care”.
Although our arrest came two years after launching, our site was blocked in
Finally, the regime took drastic measures:
We are
This hasn’t come as a surprise. Whenever Ethiopians exercise their constitutional rights to free expression, the regime resorts to its security apparatus to silence them.
My charges are tied up with our meeting back in 2013. We met in Addis Ababa University: the minister of foreign affairs
I highlighted the negative impact this was having on the political sphere. I told you that I was risking a lot merely by expressing my thoughts freely. At that time, my arrest was only an abstract possibility.
The conditions
The regime continues to silence any form of dissent using the strict anti-terrorism proclamation.
Since the 2005 Ethiopian election the government have prosecuted more than 200 people –
In the
This has made it nearly impossible for citizens to exercise their constitutional rights.
It is quite common for the federal police and the national intelligence and security service (Niss) to use force to solicit confessions from suspects. My friends and I fell victim to this type of mistreatment at the police crime investigation sector, commonly known as
The abuses they are
My fellow bloggers and I spent the first 85 days of our arrest at the police station. We were given a 20-minute toilet break twice a day. In case of emergency, we found an understanding officer, or a bucket.
The rooms were crowded, filled with suspects from all over the country. We slept and ate in the little space available.
The suffocation was sometimes unbearable.
Halt the millions
The investigation has so far been a farce.
I have been, for instance, repeatedly asked what kind of relationship I had with you, and why I was invited to
But to be honest, the amount of time I will be spending in prison is not the most pressing issue on my mind right now. Rather, I am worried about what will happen unless the international community, and specifically your government, assumes a firm stance on Ethiopia, demands progress with democratisation, and
Having said this, I want to assure you that I understand the question of liberty and democracy in Ethiopia should be primarily answered by Ethiopians ourselves.
Ultimately, it is the “willingness to suffer and sacrifice [for our cause]”, in the words of Nelson Mandela, that will determine our fate.
Your sincerely,
Natnael Feleke