01 March 2018 (SOCEPP) – THE hue and cry about the release of a hundred or so political prisoners in Ethiopia has been proved a ruse as thousands of political prisoners including Moslem activists and the priests and monks of the Waldiba monastery, prisoners, including journalists ,trade union leaders and teachers jailed since 1991 as EPRP leaders and members, hundreds imprisoned in 1997, many more imprisoned for alleged membership of opposition organizations are still behind bars, in secret (ghost) prisons all over Ethiopia, in concentration camps like Zwai, Dedesa, Tolai, Awash Arba and Bir Sheleko, and in hell hole underground prisons in Tigrai itself.

The duping exercise on the part of the repressive regime has been torn asunder by its subsequent declaration of a state of emergency, its continuing repression of dissent. Expectedly its supporters have hailed its forced action of releasing some prisoners and pretended that most have been released and the regime is seeking dialogue and reconciliation. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The regime is still on the same track of blind repression, ethnic domination and cleansing, gross violation of the rights of the majority of the people of Ethiopia.

SOCEPP calls on all democratic forces and human rights bodies to call for the release of ALL political prisoners in Ethiopia and for the respect of the democratic rights of the people.