Ethiopia Ethiopia 'pardons 2,000 prisoners' jailed over Oromo protests Hundreds have died in the protests and successive waves of repression since 2015 Oromo people stage a protest against the Ethiopian government in 2016. Photograph: Minasse Wondimu Hailu/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesMore than 2,000 prisoners jailed for involvement in unrest that gripped Ethiopia between 2015 and 2016 have been pardoned, officials said on Friday. In January, the prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, appeared to promise that all political prisoners would be freed and a prison infamous for torture would be shut. The government in Addis Ababa has long been accused by rights groups of using security concerns as an excuse to stifle dissent and media freedoms. Last week the United Nations urged Ethiopia to review the status of a “large number of people” still behind bars.

Source: Ethiopian News January 26, 2018 17:03 UTC