The European Union (EU), the main development partner of the Ethiopian government expressed its concern over the detention of the bloggers and journalists.
It also expressed that it is concerned with the political space over the upcoming general elections, scheduled for May 2015.
A statement by the local European Union (EU) in agreement with the EU Heads of Mission in Ethiopia on the situation in Ethiopia reads, "the EU Delegation is deeply concerned about developments in the case of the ten bloggers and journalists charged under the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation on 18 July, as well as recent arrests of opposition members. It calls on the Ethiopian authorities to ensure that proceedings are carried out according to the Ethiopian Constitution and respecting international and regional human rights standards, in particular granting access to legal counsel and family, as well as the right to apply for bail when applicable, and that the trial is transparent and free from political interference." "The EU Delegation recalls the European External Action Service statement of 6 May 2014 which underlined the importance of enhancing the political space, particularly in view of the elections next year. It calls on the Ethiopian Government to ensure that the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation is not used to curb freedom of expression or association," it added. "The EU Delegation welcomed the additional commitments made by the government of Ethiopia to address areas of human rights concern in the recent Universal Periodic Review process in Geneva and called for early and continuing action to ensure implementation of all of the government's human rights commitments." In a related development, citing the Foreign Ministry, the US based Bloomberg reported that the Ethiopian government rejected British court's decision to allow a judicial review of aid given to Ethiopia based on "fabrications" about a resettlement program propagated by people outside the country.
The High Court in London on July 14, said a review could be conducted into whether the UK's aid agency is adequately monitoring the human-rights record of Ethiopia's government. The ruling came after an Ethiopian citizen said his government had used aid to implement a resettlement program in the western Gambella region under which he suffered abuses. The program forcibly moved tens of thousands of people and involved "serious human rights violations," according to Human Rights Watch. The UK's development agency said it didn't fund the program.
According to the report, Ethiopia's Foreign Ministry said the Gambella resettlements were voluntary and successfully achieved their goal of improving public services in sparsely populated areas.
"One reason for these distorted views clearly lies in the failure to understand the objectives of the resettlement program," it said in a statement e-mailed by Ethiopia's Embassy in the UK yesterday. "This has been further compounded by what can only be described as shoddy analysis of the programs on the basis of flimsy, politically motivated or even non-existent evidence."
The UK's Department for International Development, or DfID, is among donors funding the Promotion of Basic Services program, known as PBS, which provides grants to local governments in Ethiopia to fund the salaries of health, education, agriculture, water and road workers. The current third phase of the plan that runs until 2018 has a budget of 510 million pounds (USD 864 million), according to a copy of the court's ruling e-mailed by DfID.
The UK plans to offer 1.3 billion pounds in support of Ethiopia, Africa's second-most populous nation, between 2010 and 2015.
DfID denied it funded the resettlement program and said assistance is only used to provide "essential services like healthcare, schooling and clean water."
It also expressed that it is concerned with the political space over the upcoming general elections, scheduled for May 2015.
A statement by the local European Union (EU) in agreement with the EU Heads of Mission in Ethiopia on the situation in Ethiopia reads, "the EU Delegation is deeply concerned about developments in the case of the ten bloggers and journalists charged under the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation on 18 July, as well as recent arrests of opposition members. It calls on the Ethiopian authorities to ensure that proceedings are carried out according to the Ethiopian Constitution and respecting international and regional human rights standards, in particular granting access to legal counsel and family, as well as the right to apply for bail when applicable, and that the trial is transparent and free from political interference." "The EU Delegation recalls the European External Action Service statement of 6 May 2014 which underlined the importance of enhancing the political space, particularly in view of the elections next year. It calls on the Ethiopian Government to ensure that the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation is not used to curb freedom of expression or association," it added. "The EU Delegation welcomed the additional commitments made by the government of Ethiopia to address areas of human rights concern in the recent Universal Periodic Review process in Geneva and called for early and continuing action to ensure implementation of all of the government's human rights commitments." In a related development, citing the Foreign Ministry, the US based Bloomberg reported that the Ethiopian government rejected British court's decision to allow a judicial review of aid given to Ethiopia based on "fabrications" about a resettlement program propagated by people outside the country.
The High Court in London on July 14, said a review could be conducted into whether the UK's aid agency is adequately monitoring the human-rights record of Ethiopia's government. The ruling came after an Ethiopian citizen said his government had used aid to implement a resettlement program in the western Gambella region under which he suffered abuses. The program forcibly moved tens of thousands of people and involved "serious human rights violations," according to Human Rights Watch. The UK's development agency said it didn't fund the program.
According to the report, Ethiopia's Foreign Ministry said the Gambella resettlements were voluntary and successfully achieved their goal of improving public services in sparsely populated areas.
"One reason for these distorted views clearly lies in the failure to understand the objectives of the resettlement program," it said in a statement e-mailed by Ethiopia's Embassy in the UK yesterday. "This has been further compounded by what can only be described as shoddy analysis of the programs on the basis of flimsy, politically motivated or even non-existent evidence."
The UK's Department for International Development, or DfID, is among donors funding the Promotion of Basic Services program, known as PBS, which provides grants to local governments in Ethiopia to fund the salaries of health, education, agriculture, water and road workers. The current third phase of the plan that runs until 2018 has a budget of 510 million pounds (USD 864 million), according to a copy of the court's ruling e-mailed by DfID.
The UK plans to offer 1.3 billion pounds in support of Ethiopia, Africa's second-most populous nation, between 2010 and 2015.
DfID denied it funded the resettlement program and said assistance is only used to provide "essential services like healthcare, schooling and clean water."
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