Ethiopia

Ethiopian court releases OLF officer Bate Urgessa on bail

Bate Urgessa, political officer of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLF).

By Foreign Reporter | Thursday, March 7, 2024

Bate Urgessa, an outspoken politician has already spent years in and out of detentions on several occasions.

The Addis Ababa City First Instance Court, Bole Division has granted bail to Bate Urgessa, a political officer of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) who was arrested alongside French journalist Antoine Galindo.

The pair was detained by Ethiopian security forces during an interview at the Skylight Hotel in the capital Addis Ababa on February 22, 2024.

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They appeared before the court a day later accused of "conspiring with two armed groups, the OLA-Shene and the Fano militia, to incite unrest in the capital".

While Galindo was released on Thursday last week, a day ahead of his scheduled appearance before the court for the second time, the court on Friday, March 1, 2024, granted police five additional days to remand and investigate Bate.

Bona Yazo, Bate's defence attorney, told Addis Standard that during today's session, the court ruled to release Bate on 100,000 birr ($1,762) bail against police inquiry of an additional 10 days for further investigation.

Bate Urgessa, an outspoken politician has already spent years in and out of detentions on several occasions.

Most recently, he faced a severe health issue while in police custody along with eleven other jailed leaders of the OLF, including Mikael Boren, Kenessa Ayana, Dawit Abdeta, Lemi Begna, Geda Gabisa, who remained in Oromia police custody after they were freed by a federal court.