Responding to a student petition, on 8 April 2001 Mesfin and Berhanu Nega held a day-long panel discussion at the hall of the National Lottery on academic freedom.

[3] In November 2005, the government of Ethiopia detained Mesfin on charges of treason, genocide and outrage against the constitution, along with other leading members of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy.

[2] Mesfin, along with the 37 other Ethiopian opposition party officials, prominent human rights defenders and journalists on trial with him, were freed on 20 July 2007.

Professor Berhanu Nega, spokesperson of the House of Federation Tagesse Chaffo, the mayor of Addis Ababa Adanech Abebe, and the President of Oromia Region Shimeles Abdisa also presented.

In his funeral service statements, he was credited as the founder of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) and he also conducted various researches on famine and drought related topics, various socio economic thematic areas.