Council of Ministers of Ethiopia passes anti-terrorism law

Monday May 20, 2019

The Council of Ministers of Ethiopia approved the bill against terrorism, after extensive deliberation to insert some amendments, said today a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister.

Criticized because it supposedly restricts the democratic space in the African nation, the project was questioned and reviewed by legal professionals, academics, members of non-governmental organizations and representatives of political parties.

According to the official communication, the office of the Federal Prosecutor drafted the legislation, which fills the gaps of the one established in 2009, and whose main objective is to protect the peace and security of the people, in addition to fighting extremist groups and preventing genocidal acts .

It also states that the new provision includes respect for the independence of the justice system and institutions, protects the rights of citizens and complies with the provisions of the country's constitution.

The definition of the concept of terrorism, the terms for the implementation of the law, the basic principles of criminal law on the subject and the legal norms against international terrorism were some of the topics most discussed during the debate.

After correcting some principles and introducing several amendments during its 68th regular session, the Council forwarded the bill to Parliament, which will decide whether to approve it and the date of implementation.

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