“I am a political prisoner”, Merera Gudina told court in Addis Ababa
borkena, Ethiopian News
July 08,2017
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Photo source : VOA Amharic
Court rejected Professor Merera Gudina’s Statement of Defence . During his hearing, he recommended judges three readings and called on judges to remember history when passing their verdict.
The books he recommended for the judges to read are Abe Gubegna’s “Alwoledim” , Bealu Girma’s “Oromai” and his own political writing where he commented that a starving people would one day eat its own leaders.
He also told the court that he is a political prisoner.
“I am jailed because I stood for Oromo People. I am Jailed because I struggled for the entire Ethiopian people. I am jailed because I struggled for democratic Ethiopia for all Ethiopians. I spoke out that there is bad governance in Ethiopia and people are fed up of it. I am arrested for political reason. I am a political prisoner.”
Merera is a chairman of Oromo Federalist Congress and was arrested in November of 2016 upon his return to a working visit to Europe. Weeks before his arrest, he appeared before European parliament to give update regarding the human rights situation which was grave due to popular protests in most parts of the country. Well over one thousand people are reportedly killed.
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