FORTUNE+ VIDEO SPONSORED CONTENTS ADVERTORIALS FORTUNE AUDIO Fortune Careers New TRADE AFRICA New

Fortune Logo

President Sahle-worq Commutes Death Penalty of Ex-Dergue Officials to Life Imprisonment

Dec 19 , 2020

Brehanu Bayeh (left) and Addis Tedla.

President Sahle-worq Zewde has approved a motion to commute the death penalty of two former Dergue officials who have been sheltered inside the Italian Embassy in the capital to sentences of life imprisonment. The commutation may allow the officials to be released on parole, according to people who follow the case.

The President has approved the motion that was tabled by the Office of the Attorney General, which regularly sends the list of death row prisoners every half year to the President's Office. Currently, there are a total of 241 death row inmates in the country.

The President signed the letter on November 11, but it was dispatched a week later, Fikadu Seboka, protocol and communications director at the President's Office, confirmed to Fortune.

Berhanu Bayeh (Col.) and Addis Tedla (Lt. Gen.) have been sheltered inside the premises of the Italian Embassy since 1991, a day before forces of the EPRDF took control of Addis Abeba. Berhanu served as Foreign Minister for three years from 1986, while Addis was the Chief of General Staff.

After the Dergue regime fell, four leaders took refuge inside the Embassy, while many of the Dergue officials surrendered themselves to the rebels. Former acting Prime Minister Hailu Yimenu and the Military Commander in Eritrea, Tesfaye Gebrekidan, died while living in the Embassy. The latter was also president of Ethiopia for a week after Mengistu Hailemariam (Col.) left for Zimbabwe, where he still lives in exile. The survivors were sentenced to death in absentia for their alleged role in killings committed under the Dergue regime.

Despite repeated requests from the government, the Italian authorities refused to hand over the officials due to the EU's policy against capital punishment in Ethiopia. There were also various lobbies by different groups calling the government to pardon the prisoners.

A decade ago, the government commuted the death sentences for 23 Dergue officials to life imprisonment, which finally helped them to be paroled since they spent over 20 years in jail.

Even though the Constitution prohibits pardons for inmates sentenced for genocide, another proclamation has granted the President of the country the ability to commute a death penalty to life imprisonment.

Put your comments here

N.B: A submit button will appear once you fill out all the required fields.



Related Posts

Share This Post
Linkedin
Google+


Most read

Latest News

Editor's pick

Commentaries

The Cost of Capital Is a Public-Health Emergency for Africa

The annual meeting of the World Health Organisation's member states, May's 78th World...

The BRICS+ Should Not Miss the Africa Opportunity

The 10 current BRICS+ members, more than most countries, can empathise with the econo...

Fineline

Leaders of the National . . .

Leaders of the National Election Board are in a charm offensive mood, of a sort. Last week, they organised a rare tour for members of the me...

When the country’s most. . .

When the country's most senior diplomats and envoys return back to their posts after two-week debriefings, they leave behind a point or two...

Editorial

Legal, Policy Volatility Turns Promises into Headwinds

Jul 12 , 2025

Political leaders and their policy advisors often promise great leaps forward, yet th...

Civil Society Feels the Squeeze as Reform Era Unravels

Jul 5 , 2025

Six years ago, Ethiopia was the darling of international liberal commentators. A year...

Soaring Taxes Fail to Plug Holes as Audit Reveals Enduring Waste

Jun 28 , 2025

Meseret Damtie, the assertive auditor general, has never been shy about naming names...

Expanding Federal Budget Tests Limits of Fiscal Discipline

Jun 21 , 2025

A well-worn adage says, “Budget is not destiny, but it is direction.” Examining t...

Gallery

Parliament Approves New Cabinet Members

Oct 6 , 2021

Parliament Approves New Cabinet, Incorporates Opposition Leaders Lawmakers have approved today the nominations of 22 ministers, including three opposition leaders. Two MPs have voted against, while 12 abstained...

2020 in Posterity

Jan 5 , 2021

TIGRAY VOTES DESPITE "NULL & VOID" THREAT

Sep 9 , 2020

IN-PICTURE: LAUREATE'S RECEPTION  

Dec 14 , 2019

PM Abiy Ahmed (PhD) at a Gala Dinner Called for the Awarding of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize

May 6 , 2019

Faces, Voices of Addis Abeba

Apr 26 , 2019

Sunday With Eden

Half a Century of Impact

On a cold Saturday afternoon last week, we gathered to honour a couple who have profoundly shaped both my life and my husband's, not just sp...

Rise Without Ruin

At times, the pursuit of opportunity quietly takes on a ruthless tone. Success begins to feel like a zero-sum game, where someone must lose...

Life Matters

Lessons in Bureaucracy

Navigating bureaucracy often feels like moving through a labyrinth, where logic falters and clarity dissolves. The rules change with bafflin...

The Nuances of Baby Carrying

Each morning, just beyond the compound gates, a familiar image greets the day: a mother walking briskly with her baby snug in a front carrie...