Inmates in Oromia Regional State confessed that they were taken video footage wearing military uniforms and holding guns by force, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has disclosed.
The inmates told the Human Rights Commission that they were forced to wear artificial hair too, appearing as though troops of the rebel Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) otherwise called ‘Shene’.
The commission in its latest report said several people were detained for alleged links with ‘Shene’ including those elderly people whose children or family members were suspected of joining the rebel force.
The commission said further it found scores of inmates who were transferred from Gedeb Asassa, Dodola Adaba detention centers to Shashemene against their will.
A high level police officer admitted that the inmates were taken video footage for investigation purposes but neither wore military uniforms nor carried guns while recorded.
EHRC Commissioner General Dr. Daniel Bekele said prisoners’ handling in Oromia requires urgent solutions. He calls on the regional government to speed up the justice process of the inmates, citing the arrest of several people without appearing before court for weeks.
The commissioner general also disclosed the presence of child prisoners who were arrested together with adult inmates.
