Habtamu Ayalew Teshome (Amharic: ሀብታሙ አያሌው ተሾመ) is an Ethiopian journalist and political analyst who was formerly imprisoned and tortured as an opposition leader in Ethiopia during the EPRDF rule.
[4][8] The TPLF–led EPRDF regime in Ethiopia claimed consecutive election victories for nearly three decades in the country that was described as a repressive ruling[9] and condemned for a frequent crackdown of opposition parties, journalists, and dissidents.
[10][3] HRW reported difficulties for oppositions in registering candidates and acquiring funds, arrests, harassment, intimidation, confiscating their equipment, and denying permits.
International bodies criticized ATP as a deeply-flawed law that the government abused to limit freedom of the press, silence voices, and persecute members of perceived opponents.
[25][26][16][27] Additional techniques included hanging a bottle of water to a prisoner's penis, pulling nails, exposure to cold, nudity, and being subjected to ethnic and other forms of slurs.
Prison officers also told him, ″We are the police, we are the prosecutor, we are the judge,″ and ″We are everywhere.″[27] Refworld reported that on 20 August 2015, the High Court acquitted Habtamu of terrorism charges due to a lack of evidence.
[19] Amnesty International released another report mentioning that Habtamu and other political prisoners were formally acquitted on 20 September 2015, by which time his health condition had further deteriorated.
[2] Due to crackdown, harassment, and torture, DOS reported that several Ethiopians sought political asylum in other countries or remained abroad in self-imposed exile.