Blen Mesfin
Blen Mesfin (Amharic: ብሌን መስፍን) is an official in Ethiopia’s opposition Semayawi (Blue) Party.[1] In 2016, she was named one of twenty women political prisoners in the FreeThe20 campaign by Samantha Power, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.[2]
Mesfin was arrested at a protest in Addis Ababa in April 2015.[1] The protest was for 26 Ethiopians killed by a group called Islamic State in Libya.[3] More than 30 members of the Semayawi Party were arrested before an April 27 political rally.[4]
Two other members of the Semayawi Party, Meron Alemayehu (ሜሮን አለማየሁ ) and Nigist Wondifraw (ንግስት ወንዲፍራው), were also arrested. They were #5 and #6 in the FreeThe20 campaign. They are now free.[5]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "#Freethe20 - HumanRights.gov is the official United States Government website for international human rights related information". Archived from the original on 2016-07-16. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ "FreeThe20 Women Political Prisoners and Prisoners of Concern Campaign Launch". Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ "Ethiopia: Respect court rulings and release opposition members". July 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ "Ethiopia: Semayawai(Blue) Party members are being arrested ahead of Sunday's (April 27, 2014) Protest Rally". ECADF. 26 April 2014. Archived from the original on 8 March 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
- ^ "FreeThe20 Women Political Prisoners and Prisoners of Concern Campaign Launch". U.S. Department of State. 1 September 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
External links[edit]
- Ethiopia: Semayawi Party (Blue Party) including origin, mandate, leadership, (UNHCR)