Prisoners’ Human Rights Treatment Improved: Attorney General

Addis Ababa, December 8/2020(ENA) Attorney General on Tuesday disclosed that human rights treatment of prisoners in Ethiopia has been greatly improved after the reform. 

International Human Rights Day marked today in Addis Ababa at the premise of Kaliti High Security Prison with the theme: “Recover Better: Stand Up for Human Rights”.

During the occasion, Deputy Attorney General, Tesfaye Daba said Federal Prisons Commission is one of the leading institutes made structural changes following the reform in the country.

Prisons were one of the institutes in Ethiopia where serious human rights violations were observed over the past 27 years, Tesfaye said. But now, the human rights treatment is much better and is in a good status, he stated.

It is to be recalled that any person convicted and sent to prisons forthwith for violations of criminal laws is still entitled to exercise the human and democratic rights except those rights justifiably deprived by the judiciary.

After the introduction of the comprehensive reform, the protection of human rights abuses in detention places has been greatly improved in the last two years, he added.

The Ethiopian legal system has equivalent set of legislations for the treatment of detained persons and continuing such novel activity contributes its part in the effort to develop democratization and national prosperity goals, he noted.

“The works being done by the Federal Prisons Commission is clearly observed and it has been seen as a role model institute by Attorney General,” the Deputy Attorney General said.

Center for Justice a non-governmental organization Director, Kumassa Gudeta on his part said substantial improvements have been observed in the human right treatments of prisoners and the human rights violation against prisoners now declined.

Following the introduction of the reform activities by the Federal Prison Commission, the handling of prisoners in Ethiopia has shown remarkable improvement, Representative of Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, Misganaw Ermiyas said.

Currently, human rights abuses in detention centers as putting in dark rooms and torture with all its forms is now prohibited in Ethiopia, he pointed out.

Federal Prisons Commissioner, Jemal Abaso said prisons should be listed for their proper handling of prisoners rather not by breaching human rights of detainees.

Correcting and rectifying prisoners to be productive citizens and integrate them to the society is the goal of the commission, he added.  

“Correcting the behaviors of prisoners and free them from their criminal mentality, and integrating them in to the community to be productive citizen is the goal. In order to achieve this goal, the prisoners and police forces have gotten capacity building training to respect the rights of each others,” he said.

The 1995 constitution guarantees that detained persons shall be treated with due respect to their dignity.

“Violating or disrespecting human rights is breaching or disrespecting our constitution. It can’t maintain law and order and ensure rule of law by breaching the rights of human beings,” he added.