Misplaced Pages

#887112

22-526: Jawar Mohammed established the OMN following a movement which he called "Oromo first". The "Oromo first” movement later grew into a political campaign, raising funds to establish the satellite TV station, launched 2013, along with Facebook and Twitter accounts using the brand Oromia Media Network (OMN). During the launch, Jawar Mohammed was appointed as an Executive Director. OMN was inaugurated on 1 March 2014. Jawar in his inaugural speech said "We've now liberated

44-658: A hunger strike on 27 January 2021. The Federal High Court of Ethiopia ordered that he be taken to Landmark General Hospital , and repeated its order on 17 February. As of 17 February 2021 , Bekele's medical condition was worsening. Bekele Gerba was born in 1961 in West Welega Zone . He attended primary school in Boji Dirmaji and high school in Gimbi . He obtained a bachelor of arts in foreign language and literature at Addis Ababa University (AAU). As

66-472: A hunger strike to protest against the conditions in the prison. Bekele was released on 13 February 2018, a day before journalist Eskinder Nega and Andualem Aragie of Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice were released, and after a wave of 6000 releases of political prisoners in early 2018. Bekele stated that most of the prisoners remaining in Ziway Prison were political prisoners. Bekele Gerba

88-697: A Catholic school in Asella . He attended secondary school in Adama until 2003, when he was awarded a scholarship to study at the United World College of South East Asia in Singapore, from which he graduated in 2005. He described his experience at the UWC as awakening his consciousness to his own Oromo identity. He graduated from Stanford University in 2009 with a degree in political science, and acquired

110-552: A Master's in human rights from Columbia University , in 2012. On 30 June 2020, Jawar along with Bekele Gerba , Eskinder Nega and Sintayew Chekol were arrested by government amidst a riot sparked after singer Hachalu Hundessa murder. They were charged with terrorism in context of "inciting violence" at the crackdown. On 5 February 2021, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Chief Commissioner Daniel Bekele said that "very close supervision

132-573: A high school teacher. He described his motivation to enter politics as a reaction to discrimination, including unfair land transfers. His view of land transfers in 2015 was of a three-tier system, with TPLF members having freedom to obtain any land they wanted; regional government ministers having relative freedom to purchase or sell land with oversight by the TPLF; lower level administrators having similar powers for remaining land deal opportunities; civil servants who observe without power; and farmers whose land

154-482: A hunger strike while still in prison. On 16 February 2021, the Ethiopian Federal High Court ordered Bekele and the other hunger strikers be treated at Landmark General Hospital . The prisoners were taken instead to the military Torhayloch Hospital, on the orders of "an unspecified higher official". At Torhayloch Hospital, Bekele refused to be treated, "fearing for his life". He was returned to

176-538: A lasting solution to Ethiopia’s problems in a peaceful, non-violent way" through a “national dialogue”. Bekele Gerba Bekele Gerba (born 1961) is an Ethiopian politician and activist. He is a member of Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC) which promotes political change by nonviolence . He was imprisoned from 2011 to 2015, 2015–2018 and again on 30 June 2020 following the Hachalu Hundessa riots . Bekele and other imprisoned politicians started

198-498: A member of the executive committee and becoming head of OFDM's public relations team. He was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2010 Ethiopian general election . On 27 August 2011, Bekele and Olbana Lelisa of Oromo People's Congress (OPC) were arrested on suspicion of being members of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). An Amnesty International delegation had met both Bekele and Olbana in the preceding days. After

220-683: A merger of the OFDM and the OPC. Bekele was released in April 2015. Bekele estimated that in the Ziway Prison where he spent part of his sentence, about 2000 of the prisoners were Oromo political prisoners. Bekele was detained again, together with 21 others, mostly senior OFC members, on 23 December 2015. Bekele was charged with linked with the OLF. During his imprisonment, Bekele and other OFC prisoners held

242-580: A postgraduate, he studied the teaching of English as a foreign language at AAU. Bekele taught English and Oromo at Adama Teachers' College. In 2005 he was fired for "supporting [a] students' riot" in 2004. Bekele moved to Addis Ababa and continued teaching at private universities. In 2007 he was appointed as a lecturer in English by AAU. In 2009, Bekele joined the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM), becoming

SECTION 10

#1732802367888

264-706: Is "looted" by the higher level elites. Bekele argued that the pattern was similar in all parts of Ethiopia. In 2015, Bekele felt that Oromo independence was not a high priority and that it remained possible for injustices against the Oromo to be solved within the federal system. Bekele stated in 2015 that he saw no role for armed struggle for the OFC, favouring the civil disobedience methods of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King . Human Rights Watch described Bekele as "deeply committed to nonoviolence". Earlier, during

286-581: Is an Ethiopian political analyst and activist. One of the founders of the Oromia Media Network (OMN), Jawar was a leading organizer of the 2014–2016 Oromo protests . He has been credited with toppling the incumbent government in February 2018 and bringing Abiy Ahmed to power. Jawar Mohammed was born on 12 May 1986 in the Dhumuga, Arsi Province bordering Hararghe . His father

308-458: Is required to prevent any grave threat to their health and life and that reasonably justified demands of the prisoners must be addressed" following reports indicating their health condition deterioration and undergoing hunger strike at prison. On 7 January 2022, the Ethiopian government announced it would release several political prisoners including Jawar, stating it was "to pave the way for

330-532: The Ethiopian government which used Spywares to target journalists working for the stations. The OMN is one of the media outlets which broadcast to Ethiopian audiences from abroad, along with the ESAT . After the drop of charges against the OMN and its executive director on 29 May 2018, the inauguration of the Addis Ababa office was held in the presence of Oromia Regional State Chief Administrator Lemma Megersa at

352-564: The Millennium Hall on 5 August 2018. Lemma in his inaugural speech said "OMN has played a big role in bringing tangible change in the regional state." In June 2020, following the death of Hachaluu Hundessa , riots reignited Oromo protests. Jawar Mohammed was then arrested on 30 June 2020, in Addis Ababa . OMN’s local office was raided by federal security agents and several journalists were detained. Hachalu gave an interview to

374-795: The Oromia Media Network (OMN), which had sparked outrage on social media, a week before his murder. The interview was aired with live stream on Facebook , which was seen by 24,000 viewers. Most of its contents are from Ethiopia, but also covers some international news. The majority of broadcasts are in Oromo with some programs in Amharic and English . It has studios located in Minneapolis , Seattle , London , Melbourne and Cairo . Jawar Mohammed Jawar Mohammed ( Oromo : Jawaar Mahammad ; ግእዝ፡ ጃዋር መሐመድ born 12 May 1986)

396-485: The airwaves of Oromia . We will liberate the land in the coming years." On 1 January 2020, Jawar stepped down from his position on at OMN to join the Oromo Federalist Congress and has since been replaced by Girma Gutama. OMN grew to become an influential voice of the youth, known as Qeerroo , a label which was created in 1990s the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). OMN and ESAT were both targeted by

418-480: The arrests, the delegation was deported from Ethiopia. Amnesty International interpreted the arrests as being motivated by the men's meeting with the delegation. Bekele was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment. His sentence was reduced on appeal to three years, seven months. In 2012, while still in prison, Bekele became the First Deputy Chair of the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC) that was formed from

440-404: The prison. On 17 February, Bekele's medical condition was worsening. The Federal High Court confirmed its order for Bekele to be taken to Landmark Hospital. In Ethiopian Christmas of 7 January 2022, Bekele was released. Bekele Gerba said that he became aware of ethnic diversity when studying at university. His first unpleasant experiences with discrimination against Oromo during his period as

462-485: Was Arsi Oromo , of Muslim faith, while his mother an Orthodox Christian; the inter-religious union was novel but gained acceptance within the community. Jawar describes his father as non practicing Muslim and Communist while his paternal grandfather was officially Muslim but seemed atheist . In contrast to his Christian grandparents who he describes very religious Orthodox Christians. He regularly attends Church with his Lutheran wife. Jawar began his formal education at

SECTION 20

#1732802367888

484-437: Was detained on 30 June 2020 together with Jawar Mohammed and 33 others following the 29 June Hachalu Hundessa riots . Senior federal police officers accused the detained of planning to assassinate government officials, after an Oromia Region special forces officer had been killed on 22 June. Bekele and Jawar were brought to court for a hearing on 2 July. On 27 January 2021, Bekele, Jawar and other political prisoners started

#887112