A seperate letter was sent to several members of the diplomatic community in which they are encouraged to continue to monitor the implementation of the new law. Earlier this month, the Ambassador’s Group (EPG) and the Heads of Development Group (DAG) issued a statement in which it was stated that a majority of them are concerned about the possible impact of the law.
Background
Ethiopia has received massive criticism from human rights organisations from around the world for the CSO law.The law violates the country’s own constitution and international law and standards:
- Organisations can only operate when registered. The grounds upon which organisations will not be registered, or may lose their registration are very broad
- Violations of the CSO law can result in many years’ imprisonment and heavy fines
- Foreign organisations that work on issues such as human rights, governance and gender are not allowed anymore to operate in Ethiopia
- The same goes for Ethiopian organisations that receive more than 10% of their funding from abroad
- Hardly any possibility to appeal against decisions of the Charities and Societies Agency (CSA), which will oversee all CSOs in Ethiopia
Documents:
- Letter to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on the CSO law
- Letter to the diplomatic community on the CSO law
More articles on the CSO law in Ethiopia
Ethiopian government passes repressive new legislation
New Ethiopian law threatens the very future of human rights work
New law in Ethiopia puts freedom of association in jeopardy
New Ethiopian law ratchets up repression, says Human Rights Watch
Repression of CSOs in other countries
In more countries in the Human Rights House Network, CSOs have experienced breaches of the right to freedom of association.
Read more about government harassment of CSOs in Belarus here:
Youth organisation liquidated in Belarus (2006)
Another Public Association Liquidated in Belarus (2006)
Read more about government harassment of CSOs in Russia here :
Persecution of civic activists in Russia. Results of the first half of 2008 year (2008)
Authorities use new restrictive practices against NGOs and the media (2007)
