ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - An Ethiopian court sentenced a senior opposition leader to six months in jail for contempt of court on Monday because he raised his hand when addressed by the judge rather than standing, his lawyer said. More than 2,000 political prisoners have been released since January as part of a package of reforms announced to try to calm lingering tensions. Bekele Gerba, secretary general of the opposition group Oromo Federalist Congress, was arrested in December 2015 and charged with involvement in terrorism. The judged deemed that as contempt of court as he did not rise and delivered a six-month sentence,” his lawyer Ameha Mekonnen told Reuters. Last month, the court had also sentenced him for a similar period after Bekele and other opposition party members sang a protest song during the trial.

Source: Ethiopian News February 05, 2018 14:15 UTC