Jul 11 , 2026.
Semhal Meles, speaking on the "Tghat" podcast, criticised legislation issued by a council the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) set up after it disbanded the Interim Administration that had governed the region under the Pretoria Deal. Joining voices who called the law "draconian," Semhal went further, calling it "reminiscent of the Derg." For a movement that once presented itself as the keeper of tolerance of dissent, the accusation cuts close. She drew on her late father, Meles Zenawi's famous line made before Parliament, "You can talk about me being bald, but you can't touch it," to point out that criticism of a leader was fair game while coercion was not. Semhal argued that the new law erases that boundary, treating not only dissent but also gossiping about the leadership as an offence.
PUBLISHED ON
Jul 11,2026 [ VOL
27 , NO
1367]
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