Ethiopia / Djibouti: Refoulement / fear of torture

Index Number: AFR 04/001/1998
Date Published: 20 January 1998
Categories: Africa

Ali Omar (also known as Ibrahim Ali Osman), Sheikh Mussa Hassan Abdi (also known as Souala), Mourad Ahmed (also known as Mustafa Salih), Mohamed Yusuf, Hassan Mohamed and Abdulwasi Ali: These six Ethiopians were arrested by police in Djibouti town on 14 January 1998 and handed over to the Ethiopian authorities on 19 January. Their whereabouts in detention in Ethiopia are not known. The six, who include a recognized refugee (Ali Omar) and three asylum-seekers, may now be facing torture and detention for an indefinite period without charge or trial in Ethiopia, and may be prisoners of conscience.