Africa-Press – Ethiopia. The Transitional Justice expert team has presented its draft report on policy direction alternatives, public consultation and input gathering process today.
Presenting the report to the media, Transitional Justice expert team Chairperson Tadesse Kassa said implementing transitional justice mechanisms has become an integral part of Ethiopia’s efforts to sustainable peace, reconciliation, and justice.
“It is very important to design and implement a transitional justice system in terms of facilitating nation-state building, ensuring sustainability, and realizing a democratic political society that will be based on the basic principles of human rights and the rule of law.”
To this end, the team carried out extensive consultations with victims, communities affected by conflicts, religious leaders, community leaders, media, influential persons and segments of the society, he elaborated.
According to him, the consultation forums and input gathering process have affirmed that the public accepts the implementation of the transitional policy.
Presenting the findings, Kalkidan Dereje, a member of the Transitional Justice expert group said the participants strongly demanded accountability of offenders.
The participants have in particular stressed the need for a prosecution process on perpetrators who have committed gross violation of human rights, she added.
With regard to the question which perpetrators should be prosecuted, Kalkidan said “the findings indicate that most of the participants stated that individuals who have committed serious crimes, those who planned, gave orders, and led should be held with high accountability. Others who have not fulfilled their responsibilities to avoid harm should also be prosecuted.”
According to the findings a special court should also be established to conduct the trial process.
Moreover, the findings from the public consultation forum recommend the formation of a fact finding body.
The participants have also suggests compensation for damages inflicted on those who have suffered serious human rights violations, experienced psychological and mental crises, suffered severe physical injuries and sexual violence as well as for displaced persons and those who have lost their families, among others, during the implementation process of transitional justice.
The transitional justice expert team has finally made recommendation that the time frame for the transitional justice begins from 1995.
The report of the expert team was developed based on findings of 80 public consultation forums held from February 2022 to September 2023 with a view to soliciting inputs from relevant stakeholders.
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