Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Birtukan denied access to lawyer

(Addis Journal)-Despite international protest and condemnation, the opposition leader, Birtukan Mideksa is still in prison and cut off from her lawyer.
Birtukan Mideksa’s lawyer, Tesfaye Derese who went to Kaliti yesterday morning to see her was told to go back. He wasn’t given any explanation.
The lawyer who was able to see Birtukan for the first time on January 31 told local papers that the first two days of her stay in jail, Birtukan was locked up in a small room of 1.50mx2m.But she was later moved to a wider and cleaner room.
But by denying access to her lawyer, the authorities are making it hard for the appeal process to continue.
So far, demands of Birtukan’s release and enable for her family and lawyer to visit her without hindrance fell on deaf ears.