Ethiopia activists given life terms
An Ethiopian court has sentenced opposition members to life in prison.
They had refused to be defended in court and admitted responsibility for the unrest.
“The accused didn’t even express regret for their actions, which in itself is a crime under penal law,” Tetemke said.
Ethiopia has been criticised by international rights organisations over their detention, but Meles Zenawi, the prime minister, has called for no leniency.
A lawyer for the opposition members hoped that the group’s admission in planning a coup would result in a lighter sentence.
Earlier this year, the Ethiopian parliament approved a report which said 193 civilians and six policemen died during post-election violence in 2005.
Opposition groups called the report “baseless”, saying that it failed to hold the state accountable for the unrest.