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ARM was one of the NGO's that submitted a report to the UN's Committee Against Torture(CAT) and below is the statement that we read to the members.  Afterwords, ARM's delegation and the committee members discussed the issues and concerns regarding the human rights situation in Ethiopia.

African Rights Monitor is a non-governmental human rights advocacy organization created to monitor human rights violations in African territories in conflict and post-conflict situations. On behalf of ARM, I would like to draw the committee’s attention to three key points to consider in Ethiopia’s CAT evaluation.

First, there is a vast discrepancy between what is written into Ethiopian law and reality. While Ethiopia has incorporated the provisions of CAT into its national constitution and Criminal Code, torture remains widespread and unchecked throughout the country. Arbitrary arrest, extrajudicial killing, torture, rape, and infringement of due process of law for detainees are strategies commonly employed by the government to oppress individuals. Suspected “dissenters” and people from Ogaden and Oromia are especially vulnerable to government torture and abuse. Government officials have repeatedly denied these accusations and assure the Committee Against Torture of its positive human rights record. Ethiopia’s anti-torture rhetoric, however, is a facade that does not translate into adequate protection against torture for Ethiopian citizens. In fact, three torture victims are here with us today and are happy to answer any questions you might have after the  presentation. One mechanism for torture not discussed in our report is a new Government backed militia. This group, called the Liyu police, was granted similar powers to those possessed by the military in the region. In mid-2008, the government collected unemployed young men, former militia members and regoinal police and sent them to a training camp. The first 800 Liyu police militia men came into force in January 2009.  Many Ogaden report that the Ethiopian military is more polite and humane than the Liyu police. This is not to be interpreted as evidence of the kindness of the Ethiopian military, but rather the comparative seriousness of Liyu abuses against the Ogaden. The Liyu police are responsible for crimes ranging from harassment, arbitrary arrests, torture and extrajudicial killings. Both during and after training, it was emphasized to the Liyu police that they were the most powerful organ in the region. This rhetoric has led them to overuse their power against vulnerable people who are not equipped to fight back, including civilians from both the urban and nomad communities.

Second, in 2009 the government passed two detrimental new laws which undermine the provisions of CAT. Specifically, The Anti-Terror Law nullifies all protection afforded to citizens under Article 4 of CAT, infringes on the freedom of expression, and expands the powers of the police without any due process. In essence, this law completely undercuts previous measures and regulations that explicitly criminalize torture. At the same time, the Charities and Societies Proclamation forbids all foreign funding and support to Ethiopian civil society organizations and requires strenuous new registration measures. This has severely limited the capacity of these organizations, and many have been forced to cut programs and personnel. Additionally, the Ethiopian Government has restricted the access of international observers and humanitarian organizations into conflict regions and has barred outside observers from certain prison facilities. Many NGOs are censoring  themselves as well, fearing further government reprisals. As a result, there is a lack of documented evidence about torture and a dearth of resources for victims. Meanwhile, the government is effectively using humanitarian aid as a weapon of war, systematically denying food and services to targeted segments of the population.

Third, I would like to mention one development since the submission of our report. On October 5th of this year, political prisoner Birtukan Mideksa was freed. However, her release is seen by ARM as a token move intended to bolster the international credibility of Ethiopia, thereby deflecting attention away from the hundreds of other individuals who remain unlawfully detained.

To conclude, the level of abuse and torture leveled at civilians in Ethiopia remains dire, despite repeated official guarantees to the contrary. The widespread incidents of arbitrary detention, torture, extrajudicial killing, and lack of due process for detainees at the hands of the Ethiopian Government can no longer be tolerated by the international community. We ask you to consider these issues in Ethiopia’s review and welcome any further questions you have. Thank you.