Taye Dendea, the former state minister of peace and a member of the Oromia regional council who called PM Abiy Ahmed an “evil man,” was granted bail on Monday by the Federal Supreme Court of Ethiopia, Cassation Bench.
Taye’s wife told BBC Amharic that the court ruled he shall be released with 20000 ETB bail.
Taye was arrested on the 12th of December 2023, right after he criticized Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of Ethiopia for grave human rights violations and atrocities in Ethiopia saying, “You are an evil man who plays with blood”.
Following his speech circulated on social media, he was discharged from his tenure and arrested for “inciting violence, supporting anti-peace forces, and holding an unauthorized firearm at his home.”
Taye was arrested under the state of emergency law, which was imposed on the 4th of August 2023 following the hybrid-like war that erupted between the government forces and Fano militiamen.
Under the state of emergency, other critical voices and members of the parliament from ethnic-Amhara were arrested. According to Amnesty International, Christian Tadele, a member of the federal parliament known for his criticism of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and Dr. Kassa Teshager, a member of Addis Ababa City Council, were arrested at their homes in Addis Ababa on the same day the state of emergency was announced.
Yohannes Buayalew, a member of the Amhara region council, was also arrested on 15 August 2023 in Bahir Dar.
Amnesty called on authorities to stop using the state of emergency law to silence peaceful dissent in its press statement issued on February 19, 2024.
The members of the parliament are still in custody despite the state of emergency was expired on June 2024.
The government security forces also detained Dr. Desalegn Chane, a member of the federal parliament representing the Amhara National Movement (ANM) party, who is critical of PM Abiy Ahmed and his regime. He was released on bail on March 14, 2024.
