An artist’s impression of Maikelawi detention centre
Maikelawi is a police detention facility in the centre of the Ethiopian capital. It is mentioned time and again in any conversation about human rights abuses.
For the Ethiopians’ it is the ‘African Guantanamo Bay’.
Arbitrary detention and torture
According to opposition members it is mostly political opponents who are taken to the police’s Central Investigation Centre in Maikelawi.
When our case was being heard in court, prosecutors produced witnesses from amongst the prisoners. They were paid. The government had no other witnesses.
‘Daniel’
We met ‘Daniel’ who was previously a captain in the Ethiopian army and recently detained at Maikelawi. He told us:
‘The interrogation was always at night. They started by beating; they would tie your hands and feet with iron and hang you upside down. They immerse you in water, they would use electric shocks and they stuffed your mouth with cloth so no-one could hear you scream.
‘Each person [detained] suffered horrific injuries as a result of the torture. Some had lost the use of their hands, some had lost their nails. There was a man who was hanged by his hand for over 19 hours.’
‘Daniel’s claims, along with others’, are consistent with reports that have been published by credible human rights organisations.
In 2010 Human Rights Watch stated:
[prisoners] described similar, consistently horrific experiences at Maikelawi. They included lengthy nights of physical mistreatment, including: being made to lie on the ground, handcuffed, blindfolded, and in some cases naked, while interrogators wearing military boots stood on their chests; being whipped with wire and beaten on the head and the insides of their feet; being gagged, hung upside down, and beaten with electrical cords; being threatened with injection of HIV-infected blood; and being subjected to ethnic slurs.
Systematic abuse at the highest level
Ethiopia acceded to the UN Convention against Torture in 1994 and incorporated similar provisions in its constitution, yet testimonial obtained by the Bureau would suggest that it is in flagrant violation of these laws.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has been tasked with ensuring human rights abuses in detention centres are reported to the Ethiopian government. The organisation has been assigned US$6m by international donors under the UN’s development programme for good governance.
To date the EHRC has not reported any human rights abuses in Maikelawi.
Human rights organisations are adamant that rather than being carried out by rogue individuals, the abuse is systematic, permeating every level of the security and even the judicial forces.
The Bureau has been unable to independently identify each of the testimonies.
Amerar Bayabel said that after 14 consecutive days of torture: ‘I was asked to be a witness against others. When I refused to do so, they accused me of a crime.’
‘We appeal to the international community, especially diplomats, please challenge the Ethiopia government on what is happening- it is not a normal prison. But they say that would be interfering with the government- it is apologetic, they are not pressing hard to get access to what is going on.‘
Merera Gudina, opposition leader
Second Sergeant Yibeltal Birhanu recounted that in May 2009: ‘I was as usual taken blindfolded and handcuffed, to the interrogation room. They told me they wanted me to be a witness. I asked who they wanted me to be a witness against.
‘They told me they wanted me to tell the court that [the defendents] had promised to give me money if I killed government officials. I told the interrogator I did not know these people and would never be a witness against them. Then they started beating me.’
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August 6th, 2011 at 1:16 pm (#)
How long will the UN and international body continue watching these attrocities commited by ethiopian regime.
August 7th, 2011 at 2:26 am (#)
AS long as the chosen ones rules the international communities does not care. Ethiopians or the northern never wanted the southerner or the Cushitic’s to come to the tope of the power of the empire state. If that happens East Africa will levee in Peace also Ethiopians are worried about Democracy. If Ethiopians excepted “ Gadaa = Democrecy”.
August 7th, 2011 at 10:38 pm (#)
Sharif the UN doesn’t care about the attrocities that are commited by Ethiopia regime.Have you heard of the Rwanda genocid that took place in 1994 where over 4 million people die?The UN is owned by U.S gov.U.S gov puts millions of dollars in UN.The UN does whatever U.S gov told them too.The UN bosses,Ethiopia regime,U.S gov all work togather to slave millions of people in Ethiopia.The UN,Egpt gov,and U.S gov worked togather and ruled the Egpt people for 30 years.But in early 2011 the people of Egypt came togather in millions and stood up to the Egpt ruling class to remove the killers from power.If millions come togather we can remove Meles from power too.Do not wait for UN or U.S gov or somebody’s come in and remove Meles from power for you….b/c that is not going to happen.
August 8th, 2011 at 4:23 pm (#)
Tadele,
Cushite? Semite? What the hell is the diffrence when people want freedom and democracy? People like you brain washed and narroe minded don’t learn from Eritrea! You want a Gedda imposed oromiya – fine go away and form your gedada system. What do you meant Ethiopians? Aren’t you one are? You one of those hate filled gedad creatures who consider themselve not ethiopian? Dream on. Geda man listen carefully. One of the crucisl mesaures of civilisation is a sripted language which you don’t have? Another one an statues, historical relics, buildings? None at all. I know you worship trees, rivers and lakes. Look are waht that is a sign of? And another thing when in history was this dream land country called oromiya? Especially in the for the woyanes set it up? Never. Which means you want to form a ficticious, non-existent geda land! Good luck. But I see 10 generations down you still haven’ achieved your gedada dream. Catch my drift?
Long live Ethiopia!
Yours truly
Gedo Gedado