Ethiopia’s Somali region frees all political prisoners from Ogaden jail

President of Ethiopia’s Somali regional state has reportedly ordered the release of all political prisoners held in the region’s notorious jail facility.

According to Harun Maruf, a Voice Of America journalist who extensively covers the Horn of Africa region said Abdi Mohamud Omar, known as Abdi Illey released detainees including opponents and former security officials.

Other journalists stressed that relatives of the inmates had queued at the premises of Jail Ogaden officially known as Jijiga Central Prison.

The current move comes on the back of a scathing report on Jail Ogaden released by Human Rights Watch (HRW). The group called on Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to probe widespread rights abuses routinely carried out on inmates.

The 88-page report asserted that “Prison officials and security forces have arbitrarily detained and tortured prisoners for years in the notorious regional prison known as Jail Ogaden. Read more...