ETHIOPIA: Gov�t disputes student arrest allegations

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

ADDIS ABABA, 2 Feb 2006 (IRIN) - Ethiopian authorities have denied reports by a global human rights watchdog that thousands of students have been arrested during the past three months in continued unrest over disputed election results.

"The news disseminated by the Amnesty International East African bureau that thousands of students are detained in Ethiopia is misinforming and incredible," said a statement issued by the Ethiopian Ministry of Information on Wednesday.

"However, about 86 student suspects who are arrested for throwing bombs at schools, breaking school property and disrupting the teaching and learning process are charged at pertinent courts ... in compliance with the laws of our country," it added.

In a statement issued on Monday, Amnesty International said security forces arrested the students in the southern Oromiya region - which includes the Ethiopian capital city, Addis Ababa - following demonstrations that began on 9 November.

"Several thousand school and college students from the Oromo ethnic group have been detained in a series of anti-government demonstrations in different parts of the Oromiya region, in the capital Addis Ababa, and in other towns," it said.

Amnesty International called on Ethiopian authorities to either release the detainees or try them in court. "Most of those taking part were secondary school students, some of them children under 18 years old, but teachers, farmers, businesspeople and others have also been detained in connection with the demonstrations," it said.

Meanwhile, Ethiopian police have arrested a journalist for a US-based website, tightening a crackdown on independent media, a press freedom watchdog said on Tuesday.

Frezer Negash, who works for the online Ethiopian Review, was arrested on Friday and is being held without charge in Addis Ababa, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in a statement.

"We are disturbed that Frezer Negash has joined at least 16 other journalists in jail in Ethiopia," said Ann Cooper, CPJ executive director.

The arrest comes amid a widespread crackdown on activists following the May 2005 elections. Some 129 journalists, aid workers and leaders of the opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy party face treason and other serious charges.

The crackdown has sparked international concern about the state of democracy in Ethiopia. Some donors have withheld direct aid to the government.

[ENDS]