Ethiopia: Information courts having jurisdiction over cases involving refusal to serve in the army, desertion and the sentencing of anti-government rebels between 1986 and 1991
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 November 1993 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ETH15792.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ethiopia: Information courts having jurisdiction over cases involving refusal to serve in the army, desertion and the sentencing of anti-government rebels between 1986 and 1991, 1 November 1993, ETH15792.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad2138.html [accessed 2 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to Amnesty International Reports for the years 1986-1991, justice was administered by various branches created by the Ministry of State and Public Security, primarily the Central Investigation Organ. Most political prisoners were reportedly held outside the framework of the law, and some people, including members of their families, were also arrested for trying to evade military conscription or attempting to flee the country. Those held for interrogation in security prisons fell under the authority of the Central Investigation Centre (Maekalawi Mirmera Diridjit) in Addis Ababa. In Asmara the Central Investigation Centre was known as the "Miriam Gimbi". Political prisoners were reportedly tortured in the Special Investigation (Liyu Mirmera) Centre of the Provisional Military Administrative Council (PMAC) (Amnesty International 1987, 47). For a detailed account of the administration of justice in Ethiopia during the Mengistu regime, please refer to the attached document.
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Amnesty International. 1991. Amnesty International Report 1991. New York: Amnesty International U.S.A.
. 1990. Amnesty International Report 1990 New York: Amnesty International U.S.A.
. 1989. Amnesty International Report 1989. New York: Amnesty International U.S.A. . 1988. Amnesty International Report 1988. New York: Amnesty International U.S.A.
. 1987. Amnesty International Report 1987. New York: Amnesty International U.S.A.
. 1987. Amnesty International Report 1986. New York: Amnesty International U.S.A.
Attachment
Amnesty International. June 1986. Ethiopia: Political Imprisonment and Torture. (AI Index: AFR 25/09/86). london: Amnesty International Publications.
