Under the looming shadow of state-sanctioned repression, the conditions inside Kilinto Federal Penitentiary reveal a dark narrative of systematic human rights violations that the authorities have shamelessly downplayed. Courageous political prisoners like Hon. Christian Tadele Tsegaye, Hon. Yohannes Bayale Faris, and their peers have been subjected to relentless abuse—acts that are neither isolated incidents nor mere lapses in duty but a calculated effort to silence dissent and persecute Amhara politicians.
These brutalities include inhumane night-time abuses where detainees were forcibly dragged from their resting areas, blinded with intense lights, and subjected to commands designed solely to disorient and instill terror. Armed federal police special forces, armed with sniper rifles and other heavy weaponry, stormed the detention center not to secure order but to sow chaos and fear. Such actions starkly contradict the constitutional safeguards meant to protect those accused of any crime and blatantly expose the true purpose behind these incursions: political persecution.
The systematic targeting of Amhara political figures is not an unfortunate by-product of routine security measures—it is a deliberate, state-orchestrated campaign led by the ruling Prosperity Party. The party’s authoritarian grip is evident in its seamless manipulation of state institutions to oppress voices that dare to oppose its rule. As documented by the court proceedings in Addis Ababa, the desperate cries of these detainees reflect a broader strategy to diminish the political influence of an entire community, underscoring an agenda that privileges power over human dignity.
Moreover, the wide-ranging abuses—from ethnic slurs and religious desecration to the outright denial of basic necessities like food, sanitation, and vital medical care—demonstrate an unwavering disregard for the sanctity of human life. Instead of upholding the principles of justice, the prison authorities have chosen to minimize these blatant violations, presenting them as acceptable trade-offs for maintaining order while conveniently omitting the deliberate cruelty inflicted upon those who are politically inconvenient.
This report lays bare a moral crisis that threatens the very foundation of a society that claims to value human rights. The actions of the federal police, in direct contravention of legal provisions designed to protect detainees, have exposed an egregious misuse of power that must be met with swift and decisive accountability. The Prosperity Party, through its manipulation and subsequent endorsement of such repressive measures, has not only compromised the integrity of the justice system but has also made a mockery of the rights enshrined for every citizen.
The voices of these Amhara political prisoners, echoed through detailed court documents, are a testament to their bravery and a call to arms for justice. They demand more than mere words of condemnation—they call for an independent and unflinching investigation to dismantle a system steeped in abuse and political favoritism. The fight for justice is not just for those behind the bars of Kilinto; it is a battle for the soul of a nation that must reject oppression and affirm the rights of every individual, regardless of political affiliation.
The systematic persecution of Amhara politicians is a stain on the nation’s pursuit of democracy, and the time has come to expose and end this realpolitik tyranny. Every act of brutality at Kilinto is a clarion call for genuine reform and the restoration of dignity to those who have been silenced. It is imperative that the international community, alongside domestic advocates of justice, stand in unwavering solidarity with these prisoners, demanding that the era of impunity under the Prosperity Party come to an end.
