PRESS RELEASE
Major Step Toward Justice: African Commission Hears Landmark Case on Ethiopia’s Abuses in Tigray
Banjul, The Gambia – 14 May 2025
In a powerful push for justice, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission) held a landmark oral hearing on 14 May 2025 in a case accusing Ethiopia of widespread human rights violations that occurred and continue to occur in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Shared by advocates, survivors’ voices were finally heard on an international stage.
“Your efforts give hope not only to these survivors, but to millions of Tigrayans who have endured unimaginable suffering,” said a representative from a Tigrayan civil society network. “This hearing is a vital step toward accountability.”
Ethiopia has so far failed to comply with the African Commission’s issuance of provisional measures in October 2022, ordering Ethiopia to cease extrajudicial killing, torture, sexual and gender-based violence, and targeting of humanitarian aid workers. Its violations did not end with the signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) in November 2022. The Commission’s recent decision to proceed with an oral hearing demonstrates growing international recognition of the grave violations Ethiopia committed against civilians – ranging from mass killings and sexual violence to forced displacement, famine, and a prolonged communication blackout. Read more…