On 5 June 2018, Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, made the following statement on recent developments in Ethiopia.

“We are very encouraged by the lifting of the State of Emergency Decree in Ethiopia Saturday, three months ahead of its planned expiration date. We also welcome the release on 26 May of a number of political detainees, bloggers and other individuals who had been detained following their participation in protests in recent years. The Attorney-General, in announcing these releases, said they were made with the intention to widen the political space, as part of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s agenda.

“During his visit to Ethiopia in April this year, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein had witnessed the tremendous hope among civil society activists, traditional leaders and others in Ethiopian society that the new Government would act swiftly to secure human rights protections for everyone in the country. These latest developments are positive indications, and our Regional UN Human Rights Office for East Africa remains ready to help continue to advance the promotion and protection of human rights in Ethiopia.”

* Office of the High Commssioner for Human Rights http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Pages/Home.aspx