„But we are human rights defenders, we defend all human rights no matter what, we defend human rights, whatever the cost.“ (EHRCO). For 30 years, the Ethiopian Human Rights Council has been campaigning for the rule of law in its country. Team members. © Amnesty International/Maheder Haileselassie Tadese
EHRCO: Empowering human rights in Ethiopia
„Every person has their own voice, and that voice must be heard.“
The catastrophic human rights situation as a result of the armed conflict in northern Ethiopia is becoming increasingly acute. The Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO), winner of the 2022 Human Rights Prize, has worked together with Amnesty International to document serious human rights violations by all parties in the conflict since it began. These are violations of international humanitarian law, war crimes and, in some cases, crimes against humanity.
EHRCO and other independent human rights organisations, as well as journalists, face harassment and reprisals when reporting on the conflict.
Amnesty appeals to the Prime Minister
- to ensure that independent human rights organisations such as the EHRCO and journalists have access to the conflict region in order to be able to research and report on human rights violations,
- to end the arbitrary arrests of journalists and human rights activists working on the conflict in northern Ethiopia, and to release all persons who are imprisoned solely for political or ethnic reasons.
- not to call for violence and hatred on social media and to publicly call on all citizens to refrain from statements that fuel violence and hatred.
Human rights prize for courage and commitment
On 30th May 2022, EHCRO was awarded the 11th Amnesty International Human Rights Prize by the German branch of Amnesty at a ceremonial ceremony in Berlin with numerous international guests.
Dan Yirga, Managing Director of EHRCO, accepted the prize on behalf of the organisation. The award ceremony at the Maxim Gorky Theatre included speeches by Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Defenders, and Svetlana Gannushkina, a board member of the Russian human rights organisation Memorial and winner of the 2003 Amnesty Human Rights Prize, among others. In her speech, Mary Lawlor highlighted the indispensable and courageous work of the EHRCO. Svetlana Gannushkina stressed the need for solidarity in the fight for human rights.
Live recording of the award ceremony
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6C0OgBRB-Q
Short version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_TOVeaw-XU
Encouragement for Dan Yirga Haile, human rights defender and Executive Director of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO). He accepted the Amnesty Human Rights Award: „Every person has their own voice, and this voice must be heard.“ © Amnesty International, Foto: Henning Schacht
Joy about the important award among those involved: from left: Amnesty Secretary General Markus N. Beeko, Executive Director of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) Dan Yirga, Martin Moryson, Chairman of the Human Rights Foundation
© Amnesty International, Foto: Henning Schacht
Bowing to the selfless commitment of the Ethiopians: on stage at the Gorky Theatre © Amnesty International, Foto: Henning Schacht