Full Charge on AAU Students Charged for Protest infront of US Embassy -Addis

March 8, 2016, Oromo Students Protest in front of US Empassy
in Addis Ababa

Reference No. G/J/B/P/P//F/No. 01716/08

                                                                Date: 16/03/2016

 To the Federal First Instance Court,
Menagesha Criminal Bench
Addis Ababa

G/J/B/P/P/F/No. 01716/08

Gulele/P/D/F/No. 435/08

Plaintiff: Federal Public Prosecutor
Defendants:

1. Soressa Deme Tolera Age 21
   Address: Gulele Sub-City, Woreda 2 Addis Ababa University, 6 Kilo Campus
2. Bayissa Hunde Age 23
   Address: Arada Sub-City Addis Ababa University, 6 Kilo Campus
3. Gemechu Kebede Keno Age 21
   Address: Gulele Sub-City Addis Ababa University, 6 Kilo Campus
4. Ensermu Bogale Deneke Age 21
   Address: Gulele Sub-City Addis Ababa University, 6 Kilo Campus
5. Debela Feyissa Gonfa Age 22
   Address: Gulele Sub-City Addis Ababa University, 6 Kilo Campus
6. Ahmed Mohammed Mire Age 26
   Address: Sub-City — Addis Ababa University
7. Birhanu Bedada Gulene Age 20
   Address: Gulele Sub-City Addis Ababa University, FBE Campus
8. Eijigu Kabeta Ayana Age 20
   Address: Sub-City — Addis Ababa University
9. Gudina Tesfaye Tadele Age 20
   Address: Gulele Sub-City Addis Ababa University, FBE Campus
10. Tesfaye Mekonnen Seme Age 21
    Address: Gulele Sub-City Addis Ababa University, 6 Kilo Campus
11. Teressa Asake Beyene Age 20
    Address: Gulele Sub-City Addis Ababa University FBE Campus
12. Mulugeta Dadi Beyene Age 20
    Address: Sub-City — Addis Ababa University
13. Alemu Olani Tessema Age 22
    Address: Gulele Sub-City Addis Ababa University, FBE Campus
14. Bete Lemi Yam Age 20
    Address: Arada Sub-City Addis Ababa University, Technology Campus
15. Daniel Abdissa Tolcha Age 21
    Address: Sub-City — Addis Ababa University
16. Tesfaye Getu Alemu Age 22
    Address: Gulele Sub-City Addis Ababa University, FBE Campus
17. Eshtu Dejene Tiko Age 22
    Address: Sub-City — Addis Ababa University
18. Bilisuma Birhanu Ararsa Age 22
    Address: Sub-City — Addis Ababa University
19. Mersha Bayissa Anbessa Age 29
    Address: Gulele Sub-City Addis Ababa University, FBE Campus
20. Sheleme Gemechu Deme Age 22
    Address: Gulele Sub-City Addis Ababa University, FBE Campus

First Charge

Against all the Defendants

The Crime

In Violation of Article 7/1/A of the 1991 Peaceful Demonstration and Public Political Meeting Procedure Proclamation No. 3 and Article 32/1/A and 482/1/A of the 2004 FDRE Criminal Code

Specifications

The defendants as a principal offender and in knowledge that it is forbidden to held a peaceful demonstration around embassies and International organizations and without letting the concerned authorities knows about their plan, on the day 08/03/2016 Morning 9 AM in Gulele Sub–City, Woreda 3, in front of the American Embassy—assembled and hold a placard and slogans and commits a crime of knowingly take part in a forbidden societies, assembly and meetings.

Second Charge

Against all the Defendants

The Crime

In Violation of Article 32/1/A and Article 486/1/A of the 2004 FDRE Criminal Code

Specifications

On the same time, day and place mentioned on the first charge, the defendants as a principal offender and with their intention of starting and spreading false rumors, suspicions and false charges against the Government, public authorities or their activities holding placards written in Amharic, English And Oromifa and reads “Schools are Knowledge Camps, not Military Camps”, “Stop the Genocide Against the Oromo People”, “The Government should take Responsibility for those Killed”, “Stop the Killings and Evictions”, “The Government should Withdraw its Military from Oromia Region”, “The Ethiopian Defense Force is terrorizing the Oromo People”, ‘Stop giving Lands to Investors while Citizens are Starved”, “The Government of America Should be aware of Ethiopia’s Psudo Democracy” and saying it loudly with a danger of inflaming public opinion commits a crime of Inciting the Public through False Rumors.

Third Charge

Against all the Defendants

The Crime

In Violation of Article 32/1/A and Article 487/B of the 2004 FDRE Criminal Code

Specifications

On the same time, day and place mentioned in the first charge, the defendants as a principal offender and with an intention of inciting the public to disobey the Anti Terrorism Proclamation, which was promulgated under the auspices of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, House of Representative holds a placard reads “Ethiopia’s Anti Terrorism Law should be Amended”, “The Government of Ethiopia Should Amend the Anti Terrorism Law”, “Dissent is not Terrorism” and commits a crime of holding seditious demonstrations.

Merqo Mesele

Federal Public Prosecutor 

List of Evidences

A.    Witnesses

1. Sergeant Goitom Birhanu /Direct witness evidence against Defendant No. 1 – 8 and an indirect witness against the rest of the Defendants/ Address: Gulele Sub-City, Woreda 3 House No. —
2. Deputy Inspector Abraham G/Tsadik Alemu/Direct witness against Defendant No. 1 – 8 and an indirect evidence against the rest of the Defendants/ Address: Yeka Sub-City, Woreda 1 House No. 1170
3. Constable Ermias Abdissa /Direct witness against Defendant No. 1 – 8 and an indirect witness against the rest of the Defendants/ Address: Gulele Sub-City, Woreda 5 House No. —-
4. Deputy Sergeant Sitotaw Amara /Direct witness against Defendant No.  5, 6 and 9 and  indirect witness against  the rest of the Defendants/ Address: Gulele Sub-City, Woreda 4 House No. 743
5. Deputy Sergeant Mebratu Simachew Worku /Direct witness against Defendant No.  1, 5 and 6 and  indirect witness against  the rest of the defendants except Defendant No. 2/ Address: Gulele Sub-City, Woreda 6 House No. 251
6. Constable Gedamu Fetene Ayle /Direct witness against Defendant No.  1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12 and 13 and indirect witness against the rest of the Defendants/ Address: Gulele Sub-City, Woreda 3 House No. —
7. Constable Gashaw Getu Misganaw /Direct witness against Defendant No.  8 and indirect witness against the rest of the Defendants except Defendant No. 2 and 7/ Address: Gulele Sub-City, Woreda 3 House No. —

B.    Documentary Evidences

1. 37 page confession statements given to the police by all the Defendants except Defendant No. 2 and 7
2. 33 placards written in Amharic, Oromifa and English language which are withhold from the Defendants.
3. Two letters written in Amharic and English which states the violations of Human Rights by the Ethiopian Government and addressed to the United Nations, American Embassy, African Union, European Union and Human Rights Advocates.

C.   Video Evidence

–  A 58 Seconds long video which shows all the Defendants except Defendant No. 2, 7, 10, 14, 16, 19 and 20 holding the placards mentioned in the charges.

Note:

1. The Defendants are detained since 08/03/2016
2. This Charge is presented as an RTD