The Rights of Detained Persons in Ethiopia: Case Study in Addis Ababa

It is evident from periodical human rights practice reports of international human rights protection supervisory bodies and pertinent NGO’s that there is prevalence of human rights violations in Ethiopia. This condemnation is specially high in detention centers where there is allegation of, inter alia, prevalence of high levels of overcrowding, disease, malnutrition, unhygienic condition, lack of separate treatment based on sex, age, illness and nature of criminal. Taking the allegations into consideration this work addressed the normative framework of rights of detained persons under the Ethiopian legislations and international treaties that Ethiopia ratified and it is found that there are rich normative instruments for that regard. This work tried to uncover the reality in practice through observation and distribution of questionnaires to detainees in the city of Addis Ababa. The attempt to gather information in prison in Addis Ababa is denied by officials and the scenario in prisons is addressed essentially based on annual report of the EHRC. Accordingly, this study has ascertained that all the allegations actually exist.