EHRC Launches Nat’l Inquiry into Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty Project

Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has launched a project to conduct national inquiry into the rights of persons deprived of liberty today.

The commission held the workshop with relevant stakeholders to provide information and establish a collaborative approach in the process on how to identify, access and analyze patterns of human rights violations and distinguish systematic features in individual cases on the rights of persons deprived of liberty in Ethiopia.

The three-year project will be financed by the European Union under the Support to Criminal Justice Reform in Ethiopia Program, it was learned.

At the opening of the workshop, EHRC Deputy Chief Rakeb Messele said a national inquiry is helpful and very useful in addressing systematic violations of the rights of persons deprived of liberty.

The national inquiry process is especially useful in enabling a broad examination of a complex, systematic pattern of human rights violations, she added.

National inquires address situations of human rights violations that affect the entire country or a significant part of it.

According to her, a national inquiry is also a good means to handle an historic pattern of human rights violations such as practices that have become embedded over many years or decades in the history and culture of the country and that are difficult to investigate on the bases of isolated individual actions.

In this regard, the workshop will provide opportunity to identify the different interests among stakeholders and the different roles they will want to play.

Moreover, Rakeb stressed that the active participation of key stakeholders in the national enquiry process will have a significant contribution in the success of this project.

The national inquiry has various dimensions including accountability, education and human rights, among others, it was indicated.

Source:  Ethiopia News Agency