Ethiopia is waging an “escalating crackdown” on civil society, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday (January 29, 2025), denouncing the suspension of two independent human rights groups in recent weeks.
In December, a government body overseeing civil society suspended the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRC), the country’s oldest independent rights group, and the Ethiopian Human Rights Defenders Center (EHRDC).
The suspensions were based on “allegations they lacked independence and were acting beyond their mandate,” HRW said in a statement. The government move was “part of their escalating crackdown against civil society”.
“By suspending groups engaged in critical human rights documentation and advocacy, the government is showcasing its intolerance of independent scrutiny,” said Mausi Segun, HRW’s Africa director.
It follows the suspension of three other rights groups in December, the Center for the Advancement of Rights and Democracy, Lawyers for Human Rights, and the Association for Human Rights in Ethiopia.
Only the latter has since had its suspension lifted.
Billene Seyoum, spokesperson for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, said since 2018 — when Mr. Abiy came to power — “significant measures” had been taken to create “a more inclusive and legally grounded environment for all actors to engage meaningfully in Ethiopia”.
Published – January 30, 2025 10:33 am IST
