News of the pardon came a week after the government released Oromo opposition leader Merera Gudina, and 22 others, which rights groups say were political prisoners. Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn had announced that political prisoners would be released "to build a national consensus and to widen the democratic space". Security forces have arrested tens of thousands of people and killed more than 900 protesters since the protests by the country's Oromo people began. Ethiopia denies that any of the detainees are political prisoners. As Ethiopia announced the released of Oromia detainees, it was also accused of suppressing the rights of other minority protesters in the Amhara Region.

Source: Ethiopian News January 27, 2018 12:45 UTC