Update On Convicted and Jailed Kinijit leaders plea-bargaining #3
(Aigaforum June 25, 2007)- The latest news we have from our reliable source in regard to Prof Efrem negotiation with jailed leaders in kailiti reads like this.
In Ethiopia prisoners are allowed to meet their families during the week end. Unlike other modern western countries where visitors are allowed in certain days and restricted hours only, the kaliti prisoners have been give unprecedented access to their families from day one. It is with that kind of access families of the jailed leaders were observed having a field day the past week end. There were no development on Saturday and Sunday in the negotiation front except families and prisoners were talking on their hopes.
Quoting source some of the open discussion among prisoners and family members read as follows:
Professor Mesfin answering a question when he will be freed..” I have not agreed with the negotiators, the deal presented is a deal that does not have a future (tinsae yelelew mot nuw!)
Dr Berhanu answering about news coming from overseas about their division within... We have agreed to ask for forgiveness and move on.
Antenehe Mulugeta, answering a question as when he will be freed…I do not know? What are people saying?
Daniel Bekele…we are doomed if we signed and doomed if we don’t. We are doomed to sign this agreement since it is saying we are responsible for many crimes and the State can use it in the future to put us back in jail and we are doomed if we do not sign because the court will sentence us in a weeks time.
Netsanet Demiise: The negotiators are pushing as hard; we are at a crossroad and are in deep pain what to do.
Sileshi Kena. Why are people talking about our release when we do not know for sure and why has Admass newspaper published about it with out a confirmation?
Debebe Eshetu, answering a question about half of them have signed …all I know is when we are freed you will need to have four people for every one of us…We suspect he is alluding that prisoners are not in good health and may be carried away. The family member replied no problem just be free and we will have more than four people at hand!
According to our source the family visit of the last weekend was held in upbeat atmosphere so much so people went to the court at Ledeta to meet their jailed prisoner family members on Monday (6/25/27). When asked why they were there by court personnel’s the family members replied they came to meet their family members and when asked who told them about such news they replied “alubaleta” and “Diaspora”
Although Aigaforum is part of the Diaspora we have tried to warn our readers and family members who read us not to set hopes high and at no time did we ever speculate about dates of release. The only date we mentioned is the next court date and that is (July 2) Ethiopian calendar!
Mean time Prof Efrem has resumed his negotiation to convince the other 36 jailed prisoners to commit to his plan. He is also working hard to convince Engineer Hailu and Bederu Adem few among the notables who are saying they won’t sign today (6/25/07)
Note from June 24, 2007:
Sorry to dash the extreme Diaspora hopes of misinformation but here we come again! The much hyped court date as propagated by Ethiomedia and relatives at home is not a court date at all in a real sense! The date is for the defendants to enter their take on the penalty sentencing and for the prosecutor to enter their recommendation as to what the penalty should be. The petition submission will be at the registrar offices and no judges will be present or seated! As you recall the next court date for sentencing is July 2,(?) Not to dash all good wishers hope but, the prosecutor has submitted its appeal on those released by earlier court ruling and sources informed us the only way the jailed leaders will be released will be if the prosecutor ask the judge to drop the case at the next court date(July 2)which is far from reality at this point.