By Lij Tekle
December 15 2009 to January 15, 2010
Marking Birtukan Mideksa’s one year in Prison
On Sunday, December 28, 2008, a dozen of armed security men approached the president of the main opposition party in Ethiopia, Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ), Ms. Birtukan Mideksa and sent to jail. Planning for a month-long series of activities to mark the one year illegal imprisonment of Ms Birtukan Mideksa and honor Ethiopia’s thousands prisoners of conscience is well underway, according to a brief we found from the planning committee comprising the Free Birtukan and all Prisoners of Conscience Task Force (http://www.freebirtukan.org) and other human rights organizations.
These activities, scheduled to take place around the world from December 15, 2009 to January 15, 2010, will culminate in a global rally on January 11, 2010 – calling on donor nations to hold the Ethiopian government accountable to its actions. According to Mr. Girmaye Gizaw, the head of the Organizing committee, cities around the world, including Addis Ababa, Washington DC, Boston, Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Diego, Frankfurt, London, Toronto, Vancouver, and others have already committed to this effort and are actively planning their activities. Our source from Washington, D.C. has disclosed that a big public rally will be held at the US State Department on January 11, 2010 and thousands of Ethiopian Americans are expected to take part in this rally.
This month-long campaign, featuring rallies, town hall meetings, candle light vigils, and symposia, is expected to draw participation from human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, Women’s organizations, artists, and other prominent individuals. Funds will also be raised for the families of prisoners of conscience, including Birtukan Mideksa’s mother and only daughter.
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To get Birtukan free we Ethiopians have to take any measures possible. One alternative happen to be joining the struggle with our neighborhood countries like Eritrea.We know we Ethiopians and Eritreans have a common obstacle.If we see the historical facts we can conclude Isaias wouldnot have been concerned for the Ethiopian people more than Meles if it wasnot for the Economic needs of Eritrea. We cannot forget Isayas and Meles grew up and fought derg together as cousins . One can say Isayas is just trying to use Ethiopians fight the war for him to gain economic control.We can listen to what Isayas has to say about Birtukan’s release but let’s not thrust him fully, because he will chew birtukan and spit her out like a used chewing gum once he gets control.