Ethiopia has commuted the death sentences of 23 people convicted of genocide for their part in the “Red Terror” purges during the rule of former dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam. The 23 still face life in prison.
Among those spared the death penalty Wednesday are many senior officials in the Mengistu government, including former vice-president Fisseha Desta and former prime minister Fikreselassie Wogderes.
The 23 were imprisoned after Mengistu’s Communist military junta collapsed in 1991. They were convicted of genocide and sentenced to die in 2008 after a lengthy trial.
No comments yet, be the first one to post comment.