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Written by Nancy Macdonald, Macleans
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 Birtukan Mideksa, the country’s main opposition leader, has been in jail for 18 months.
Two months ago, Halle Mideksa celebrated her fifth birthday. For the fourth time, the bubbly little girl—dressed, to meet Maclean’s, in pink and purple, hopping on one foot, a yellow sucker gripped between her teeth—had to celebrate without her mom, Birtukan Mideksa. |
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Written by Zainab Salbi
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 Today I would like to tell you the story of Birtukan Mideksa, an Ethiopian prisoner of conscience who is facing life imprisonment for speaking out against an oppressive government. Birtukan is an opposition leader of the Unity for Democracy and Justice (formerly Coalition for Unity and Democracy) party and is advocating for democracy and rule of law in Ethiopia. After years of civil unrest and war with Eritrea, Ethiopia is still struggling to overcome oppression and establish political freedom.
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Written by Prof. Alemayehu Gebremariam
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As Mother’s Day is celebrated in Ethiopia on the second Sunday in May, I feel privileged to share with my readers a testimonial tribute honoring Birtukan Midekssa, the first female political party leader in Ethiopian history and the most famous political prisoner in that country. Let me say up front that Birtukan needs no tribute or praise from me or any other person. |
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Written by Chris Flaherty
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 On Monday May 3rd , I will commence a hunger strike along with other supporters of Birtukan Mideksa until you or someone within your administration makes a public statement acknowledging the status of Birtukan Mideksa as a jailed prisoner of conscious. We also respectfully demand that you call for her release to the Ethiopian government. We will be sitting in Lafayette Park directly in front of the White House. We hope and pray that you will do what is right.
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Written by Alemayehu G. Mariam
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It has now been 461 days since Birtukan Midekssa, the first woman leader of a political party in Ethiopia, was snatched from the streets by Zenawi's goons and re-imprisoned for allegedly denying a pardon from a bogus political conviction in 2007. On January 9, 2010, Zenawi told a press conference that any discussion of Birtukan's release was "a dead issue." |
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Help Ms Birtukan Mideksa get urgent medical help!. Use the following materials; instructions are included: 