Ethiopia: Court denies bail to opposition leader

By Abebech Tamene and Tufan Aktas

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AA) - An Ethiopian court Friday rejected the bail request of a prominent opposition leader detained for three months on suspicion of inciting violence and terrorism.

Wondimu Ibsa, the lawyer for opposition leader Dr. Merera Gudina, told Anadolu Agency that they will appeal the ruling, starting at the next hearing on April 24.

According to Ibsa, Gudina “expressed deep sorrow over the court’s decision to deny him bail, a right which is granted to any ordinary criminal.”

Prosecutors have argued the charges he faced were too serious to consider bail.

According to the charges, property worth $43.9 million was destroyed in protests he “incited”.

Merera, a leading opposition figure in Ethiopia and chair of the Oromo People's Congress (OPC), was arrested after he gave a speech at the European Parliament on the political situation in Ethiopia.

Last December, government spokesman Negeri Lencho said Merera’s detention is related to the state of emergency declared in October.