Prominent lawyer among the accused plotters

A prominent lawyer is among 40 people jailed in connection with an alleged plot to overthrow Prime Minster Meles Zenawi’s government.

Goshyirad Tsegaw, who along with Bertukan Mideksa has presided over a high-profile case of the former Defense Minster and top ranking official of TPLF, Siye Abrah was arrested on April 24.

He and other 39 alleged members of Ginbot Seven face charges from an alleged plot to overthrow the Meles government.

According to the weekly Amharic newspaper, Addis Neger, Goshyirad got his first degree from the Addis Ababa University in 1999 and started his career working as an Assistant Judge at the Federal First Instance court where he worked for a year.

He served for eight more years as a judge in the same court where he came to preside over Siye’s case.

Starting from 2009, he has been practicing law independently and doing his second degree at the Addis Ababa University in Human Rights Law.

The human rights group, Amnesty International, last Tuesday demanded the goverment to release the names and whereabouts of the suspects.”Several may have been detained solely for thier family ties to men who have expressed political oppostion to the goverment,” said Michelle Kagari, deputy director of Amesty’s Africa program.”They should be released immedatel.Any others should be charged with a recognisable criminal offense or released.”