Ethiopia: Arbitrary suspension of Human rights organisations in Ethiopia is a major setback to Civic space

Addis Abeba, Geneva - 28 November 2024

The World organisation against torture and its network members, are deeply alarmed by the arbitrary suspension of three prominent local human rights organizations in Ethiopia and call for their immediate and unconditional retraction, and creation of enabling environment for their human rights work.

In separate letters issued on Nov. 21, 2024, the ACSO, which is mandated to register and oversee Civil society organisations (CSOs), announced the suspension of the Centre for Advancement of Rights and Democracy (CARD), the Association for Human Rights in Ethiopia (AHRE), and Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR). These organizations are among the few vibrant CSOs, working to promote and protect the fundamental human rights and freedoms of all citizens and to build democratic culture in Ethiopia. Their suspension represents a significant escalation in the Ethiopian government's efforts to silence human rights defenders, who have already faced harassment and intimidation, and to shrink the civic space.

In several previous statements our organisations have expressed their profound concerns over the government attacks that already forced several human rights to live in exile, including partners and members of the SOS-Torture members. Former executive director of the Association for Human Rights in Ethiopia (AHRE), Mrs. Eden Fisseha, and Ms. Meseret Ali, who succeeded her, have both faced threats, harassment, and intimidation that forced them to flee. Recently, Mr. Dan Yirga, the former Executive Director of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO), SOS-Torture network member, is now in exile due to intense pressure, harassment, and intimidation by security forces. Additionally, employees of EHRCO have received threats and intimidation, forcing some to abandon their human rights work, thus posing challenges for others.

The letters issued to the three CSOs outlined the same reasons for their suspension: they lacked political neutrality and engaged in activities that endangered the interests of citizens and the nation. These allegations are absurd and baseless. They are, rather, politically driven one, particularly following remarks made by Prime Minster Abiy Ahmed during his address to Parliament on July 4, 2024. In his address the Prime Minister made unsubstantiated claims regarding human rights organisations, stating:

"Institutions formed in the name of human rights must do self-scrutiny. They have departed from the fundamental definition of human rights. Institutions that present themselves as 'human rights organizations' are not serving human rights but rather pursuing political motives. This contributes to the lack of peace in various countries. Consequently, the human rights organizations' proclamation, institutions and their operation must be reviewed and checked. They are like needle and cannot sew their own hole. This is not good and it destroys a nation."

These remarks not only conflate the vital work carried out by human rights organizations including CARD, AHRE, and LHR but also indicate the hostility of the political landscape to their mission that established the foundation for the suspension of these organizations. This action is unwarranted and represents a regression in the progress that Ethiopia has made toward nurturing a free and open civic space. Since the repeal of the repressive CSOs Proclamation No. 621/2009 and the subsequent introduction of Proclamation No. 1113/2019 in 2019, Ethiopia has experienced substantial advancements in the expansion of freedoms of association and expression and opening up of the civic space. Nevertheless, the arbitrary suspension of these organizations erodes those hard-won progresses, shrinking the civic space and undermining the rights of CSOs to operate freely and independently.

This, in turn, undermines the vital roles the Human Rights CSOs play in promoting and protecting human rights, ensuring transparency and accountability, and being voice for marginalized and under-represented groups of society. Moreover, targeting these organizations not only obstructs their important work but also sends a chilling message to like-minded organizations, potentially deterring and discouraging their active involvement in the work of human rights promotion and protection and building of democracy.

In 2023, the United Nations Committee against torture recommended to the government of Ethiopia, to Adopt effective measures to protect journalists, human rights defenders, political opponents, government critics and activists from threats, intimidation, harassment, attacks or undue interference in the exercise of their professional activities or of their right to freedom of opinion and expression.

We urge the international community and human rights partners to stand in solidarity with Ethiopia's CSOs and advocate for an environment where they can operate without fear of reprisal.

We call on the Ethiopian government to:

1. Immediately lift the suspension imposed on CARD, AHRE, LHR, and any other similarly affected organizations ;
2. Cease all forms of harassment, intimidation, and silencing of human rights defenders ;
3. Create more enabling environment for CSOs and human rights defenders to engage in human rights work ;
4. Uphold its international human rights obligations to respect, protect and promote freedom of association.

For more information, please contact:
Francesca Pezzola, Director of Communications at OMCT, at [email protected]

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