Ethiopian Security Arrests Several Terrorist Red Handed

Addis Ababa, Saturday, 17 September 2011 – The Federal police said that it has adequate evidence against the terrorist suspects arrested this week maintaining that the arrests are not politically motivated.The Federal Police and the National Intelligence and Security Service Anti-terror Joint Taskforce arrested five individuals early this week. The arrests included deputy chairman of Medrek party, Andualem Arage, and three other opposition party members. “Police have adequate evidence against these terror suspects with close links to the terrorist group Ginbot 7,” federal police Assistant Commissioner and Central Information and Criminal Intelligence Directorate Director Demelash Gebremichael, said during a press conference he held with Shimeles Kemal, state minister at Government Communication Affairs Office (GCAO). He said the suspects used their political membership as cover for their terrorism plots particularly with plans of acts of terror in the Ethiopian New Year. “Being a member of a political party does not exempt one from criminal liability and the evidence we will present to court during trial shows their involvement in terrorism,” Demelash said Shimeles also reiterated the commissioner’s statement. “Over 90 political parties operate in the country and none of these political party members are being harassed or intimidated for their political outlook,” he said. “Such claims of arrests of individuals in the country because of political outlooks is baseless”. He also criticized some media reports suggesting that the arrest also targeted journalists. “There is no journalist arrested in connection with their day to day profession,” Shimeles said. “The only journalist detained is Woubshet Taye [Deputy Editor-in-chief of the Amharic weekly Awramba Times] who is accused of terrorism plots on media infrastructures”. Commenting on Eskinder Nega’s arrest, an individual arrested this week along with the four opposition party members Shimeles said: “For all we know, Eskinder is not a journalist”. “No one knows for which media institution he works for”.According to Shimeles after the coming into effect of the Antiterrorism law, the government was able to squash terrorism plots that could have caused severe havoc to life and property. Assistant commissioner Demelash said the five suspects were brought before court within 48-hours in accordance with right of suspects under the FDRE Constitution and the criminal law.(waltainfo.com)