Call for evidence regarding June/July 2020 massacre in Oromia, Addis Ababa, Harar and Dire Dawa
Investigation of the June/July 2020 Massacre in Oromia & Addis Ababa – Legal Team in North America
Following the murder of Hachalu Hundessa on 29 June 2020, widespread protests throughout Oromia Region, Addis Ababa, Harar, Dire Dawa, and surrounding towns erupted. Most of these protests were peaceful. The people expressed their shock over the brutal killing of a cultural and political icon. However, in some areas, a group of protestors unleashed violence against unarmed civilians. This violence resulted in death and bodily injury of numerous members of various ethnic and religious communities and innocent Oromos many of whom came to the aid of their neighbors.
The news reports about these violence indicate that these attacks were not abrupt and isolated incidents. However, these attacks appeared to have been premeditated, organized, well-financed and selectively targeted ethnic and religious minorities in various parts of Oromia Region. Alarmingly, there are reports of the complicity of the government’s security apparatus and bureaucracy in these attacks. The nature and the true extent of these attacks and the resulting loss of life, limbs and property must be fully documented. Action must be taken to ensure such atrocities shall never be repeated. Anyone who organized, counseled, funded, or participated in committing these acts must be held accountable. Each victim of these crimes deserves justice in the forms of holding the perpetrators accountable and full restitution for his or her loss.
The pursuit of truth and justice should not exclusively be left to the Ethiopian Government alone. The investigation and documentation of these heinous crimes must be done professionally and without delay. Having considered these factors, a group of volunteers led by practicing lawyers in North America have been formed to collect and assess evidence of these atrocities. The evidence collected will be presented to the public in a comprehensive report. The evidence will also be used to bring responsible parties, groups, and organizations to justice. We are not affiliated with any organization, however, we are open to receive any assistance from individuals and entities that share our objectives.
We, therefore, call upon people who directly witnessed or have reliable information about these attacks to provide us with information and documented evidence. We are particularly interested in receiving information from anyone who was directly affected by the atrocities, who lost a family member or a loved one, or who suffered a loss of property. The information provided to us will remain confidential and will only be disclosed with the expressed consent of the informant. Anyone with relevant information can reach our team via our email at forallethiopia@gmail.com. Once you submit your information, a member of our team will contact you via telephone or your preferred method of communication to receive your information. You can also submit photographic and video evidence via email at forallethiopia@gmail.com. All evidence collected will be examined for authenticity and reliability.
To read this statement in Amharic, please click here.
Investigation of the June/July 2020 Massacre in Oromia & Addis Ababa – Legal Team in North America
18 July 2020