Human Rights Watch (HRW) appealed on Tuesday for the immediate release of 12 detainees, including the brother of Batte Urgessa, a political opposition member assassinated in April 2024. In a news release, the organization condemned the murder and the arbitrary imprisonment of the 12 people associated with Batte, describing it as a violation of fundamental human rights.

Laetitia Bader, deputy Africa director at HRW commented: 

The Ethiopian authorities’ detention without charge of the murdered opposition leader’s brother and others suggests that the government is more concerned about preventing the truth from coming out than uncovering it. The authorities should immediately release those unlawfully held and seek international assistance for an impartial investigation.

Batte was a critic of Ethiopia’s government and a leading Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) member. He had been arbitrarily arrested and incarcerated on multiple occasions. In February 2024, he was detained alongside French journalist Antoine Galindo and charged with “trying to stir insurrection.” He was released on bail one month later. In early April, Batte’s lifeless body was found in the outskirts of Meki town, Oromia region with a gunshot to the head. His death sparked discontent, with the US, UK and the European Union calling for Ethiopian Authorities to conduct a prompt investigation into the matter

HRW received a list of nine detainees, including Millo, Batte’s brother. Millo was arrested and detained after appearing in an interview in which he said that numerous witnesses near where Batte was slain saw someone remove him from a government security van. Despite a Meki district court ruling for his release, Millo remains detained.

Various reports from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRC) reveal a rise in threats and harassment directed at human rights organizations and the media in Ethiopia. In April, the EHRC wrote to the Oromia regional state administration, alleging that it had been “forced to quit” its investigations in Meki City after gathering evidence linking government security forces to Batte’s assassination. The EHRC stated that, despite their efforts to secure the safety of the witnesses, the police continued to detain them and prevented the Commission from interacting with them. Furthermore, during the investigation, unidentified people and cars pursued investigation experts, frustrating the probe.

HRW has called for international assistance in probing these cases.