Breaking News: Free at Last! Birtukan Released from Jail
(UPDATE) Addis Neger Online has confirmed that the jailed opposition leader Birtukan Mideksa has been freed from prison. -Birtukan said that she requested pardon from government. -Birtukan’s first interviewer was VOA’s Meleskachew Amaha. -Our correspondent in Addis Ababa said that he had never seen such an emotional welcome. -Birtukan walked on red carpet to get [...]
(UPDATE)
Addis Neger Online has confirmed that the jailed opposition leader Birtukan Mideksa has been freed from prison.
-Birtukan said that she requested pardon from government.
-Birtukan’s first interviewer was VOA’s Meleskachew Amaha.
-Our correspondent in Addis Ababa said that he had never seen such an emotional welcome.
-Birtukan walked on red carpet to get into her house.
-At Ferensay Legacion(where her residence is located), people are celebrating her release with incredible scenes of jubilation; dancing and singing outside her house and strewing petals on the road.
- When she left prison compound, the process was videotaped by unidentified cameraman.
-There were sounds of loud cheers from Addis Ababans as the white minibus carrying her drove through the streets of Addis Ababa. Birtukan responded to adoring fans by waving her hand.
-Her daughter, Halle, was sitting besides her.
-Professor Mesfin Woldemariam and Dr. Yacob Hailemariam were among the people waiting for her outside prison.
Earlier:
-Eye witnesses told Addis Neger online that Birtukan is not seen in her family’s house at Fernsay Legasion. However, the house is decorated with small Ethiopian flags and a big poster. The colorful plastic poster depicts a big picture of Birtukan with Amharic and English welcoming statements. The statements read: “enkuan lebetish abekash” and “welcome home”. Her mother, Almaz Gebregzihaber, is preparing fasting food for guests. Residents of the area stop over at Birtukan’s home and congratulate her mother. Journalists and supporters are waiting for Birtukan outside of the compound.
- Elders group led by Professor Ephrem Issac will give a press conference about the release of Birtukan around mid day at Sheraton Addis Hotel.
(MORE TO COME)
Great one! Though its too early. lol…anyways the hero is uncaged.
Bravo Meles!! It’s not worthy to give attention by jailing wzt. Birtukan…as long as she asked for pardon,it’s a right thing to forgive and let her supporters see for themselves if she really is what they were fantasizing….btw who is the next jailed hero for the foolish diaspora??? ohhh…Tamrat Geleta..lol
Good for everybody, be it for government,oppositions parties,families or supporters. There should be a framework for her release but my brother don’t jump to conclusion that Meles was the only person who did Birtukan’s release. Its a combination of all factors ( whether it is enternal or external pressure ). We welcome any good news. Having said that… don’t even think to compare Tamrat Geleta who killed innocent ppl versus Birtukan Mideksa who is challenging govt for the betterment of Ethiopia.
@Tadesse,
I didn’t mean to compare wzt. Birtukan with Tamrat Geleta,but to show how the extremists always look for anything to advance their agenda since they don’t have any tangible alternatives to challenge EPRDF.
Anyways, my apologies if you feel that way!!
Thank You,
alebachew
It is a great news for all Ethiopians !!!
Finally, she is free !! Thanks for GOD!!!!
we have been saying and demanding the releas of our Birtukan. Now we have to demand the freedom of all Ethiopians,
Free all Ethiopians!!!
zenawi is a dead fish!!!!!!
This is a win-win situation for the government as well as for Birtukan. This will help for the government to focus its full attention on the implementation of the five year. Of course, it will also help to earn a credit for the government in the eye of its donors. At the same time it is nice for Birtukan to spend her life with her daughter and mom as there is nothing to gain from serving her youth age in prison.
But she need to think twice before she indulge into unnecessary discussions that may breach her pardon. It might not good to bring the past here but it should be considered as a lesson. In the first place if she was to sign a pardon she could have retreated her statement before going to jail. Anyway, lets be byegones are byegones and look into the future.
Last but surely not least, it is up to her to decide but I wish her to stay away of the fire. She doesn’t seem good at politics. If she were a good politician this was not the right time for her to ask a pardon from her opponent’s stance.
It is extraordinarly joyful to see our heroine out of zenawe’s crime cell trimphantly
She makes the bigot dictator stupidly lair.Do not forget his recent answer to reporters that birtukans release is dead issue;
Congragulation to AN and all freedom loving Humans. but sorry to Hodams
.
This is the happiest news for all freedom lovers.
Free at last our hero and our Mandela
Hey Yonas,
Tell your idiots to live the country. There is nothing at all for them to focus by releasing birtukan.The same Idiots, the same lie for the last 20 + years. what is new thing to believe that they will transform things in the coming 5 years that they couldn’t do in the past. The only thing for them to focus is live the country. Birtukans releas dosn’t change the image of this facist regime. This is not a win win story. Birtukan is one, think about the entire nation in a prison. we all will avoid fight and raise our children when all citizens are free and when you and your angels pack and live our beauty Ethiopia.your advice looks voicles like a snake move, but, has a poisen in it.
Free all Ethiopians!!!!!!!!
as you talk the talk you gotta walk the walk silly!….freedom cost a price and it is paid if you think its not go and do it like the men did it…not cyber war….loser!
Praise to be the Lord!!There is a time for everything,and a season for every activity under heaven.
our hero has set free thank you lord you deserve the highest praise hallelujah
we need peace and it will come soon belive me GOD is on our way
I never expected and never think that TPLF leader has such a great fear against Mideksa.
Wow, Birtu (strong), I now beleive you are really a fear for woyane.
I hope they will not jail you when the 2015 election comes again.
You will be our leader!
That is z spirit, dear tat.Every Ethiopian should leave bygone days behind and chin-up to rally for 2015(2007EC)Election day. B.Mideksa and her bright legacy of perseverance will usher an invigorated and re-vitalized Ethiopia.She should preside over Medrek and mobilize all Ethiopians especially women to achieve winning the election.Democarcy and justice will prevail in Ethiopia when we have a female prime minister.God bless Ethiopia and its people.
That is z spirit,dear secret.Bygone days are gone,now the time for hard work to clinch the winning vote in 2015(2007EC) with B.Mideksa as our future prime minister.She should preside over Medrek to invigorate all forces of Democracy rally behind the struggle for liberty,equality,unity and justice in Ethiopia.God bless Ethiopia.
I heard that the government has prepared a big propaganda against Birtukan. I have also heard she might has signed a document which was one of the condition for her release. Itsn’t known if the document is an appology later. Regardless of that we should truly support Birtukan and shouldn’t be tricked by the propaganda of the killer criminal Meles Zenawi!
We know the disgraced tyrant has no legal authority to either jail or release her. Thousands of Ethiopians are being abducted, tortured, detained, and killed on a daily basis. There will come a day when the mafia gangster will be eliminated and pay for all the crimes they have committed.
Birtukan congratulations on your victory. You braved and showed the tyrant the spirit of freedom loving Ethiopians. Your sacrifice should bear fruit soon. Never, ever think of giving in to their intimidation and their monstrous acts. As long as you stick to your cause and principles as you did so far, they will end up losers. Truth shall prevail!!!!
It is good to see Birtukan set free.That is great achievement,and thanks to God.
But,the truth is TPLF never leave office through Birtukan’s way.No way.They prefer to die than leave office.
This bunch of criminals never never leave office with out gun.Be ready to bear arms and fight.
Thanks
I am very happy to hear this news. I didn’t expect that meles would release her at all.
Do not cheat yourself guys. She apologizes and sets free. Nothing less nothing more. She was ready to sell herself just to get free from jail, hence the government shows how merciful ite is. We need to praise the government b/c they want to facilitate the transformation without hindrance.
It is the ignorance of such selfish and illiterate people like you who are putting us still to the darkest ages of our life.Dude,wake and get real…atleast she proved something,what did you do…you just sit here,get paid less than 20 birr per day for ridiculing people with no ground.
Go out there and make a difference in your life…you don’t have to be a blind government supporter or the opposition camp…at the end of the day…you will notice that life is not at all just ”Putting food at the table”…
By the way,’work on your english’…or else…you can also write your comments in your own mother tongue…feel free to be yourself…this the new Ethiopia that is going to be constructed yet where you will be proud to be yourself and it is not a place for you and the likes of Alebachew and Antonio who are just here to disturb peaceful political discussions.
regards
;)
Glad to hear that she’s finally released. Meles no more needs her in prison since the election is over. The most important lesson one can learn from this is that no peaceful means of strugle will work.
Congratualtions Meles! you’ve just transformed a huge wave of firm believers in peaceful struggle into “any means necessary” ways.
I am happy that Bertukan is free at last!!! Congratulation Bertukan!!!. It is wonderful news ended. You are more popular than before you went into jail. I hope you will be among those leaders who will take Ethiopia to victory, freedom and glory.
I really want to express my joy after hearing this good news
Glory to the Almighty God, Lady Liberty will join us in the larger prison which Ethiopia is under tyrant Meles.
I cogratulate Hale Mideksa and W/o Almaz as well as her Sister Eyerusalem and her close relatives who have endured Birtuka’s ordeal.
I pledge my utmost support to Lady Liberty to the end of my life
Good God…How can you call yourself neutral while sucking to one side big time. As much as i hate those demagogues that demonize everything the government does, i despise more people like you who has a mentality of a seven year old. If you are a level headed person you should know that she should have never been arrested in the first place because she was never guilt of anything. Now you want us to jump in jubilation for the “mercy” shown by her captors…Although, I commend the government for releasing her, I’ll always deplore any attempt to justify her agony as if she brought it on herself by pin heads like you.
It is indeed a good news for her and ethiopian politics. don’t forget though that Meles recently said ‘i won’t be surprised if she asks for pardon again, and i won’t be surprised if the government jails her again.’ He has something in mind….
Awesomeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Neutral,
Achiberbari woyane! yemin ‘tranformation’ new? yezekete sibiinachun lemeshet yemitadergut mastawekiya mehonu new. The world knows that Birtukan has a higher moral ground and respect than your master. Whatever your bluff, Meles’ hand was twisted to release her. Remember what he said earlier about her imprisonment and what he did now. What a shame! What a lie! What a spineless tyrant!
It is a shame to all opposition supporters where the so called leaders say diffrent thing at different time,they better leave the leadership. EPRDF is always the winner, all are losers
Bro, Zeberga,
You and me and the whole world knows how eprdf rigged and crunched the ballot casting.No offence,but that is the truth,the whole truth about voting in Ethiopia.eprdf is good at stealing peoples vote but not peoples heart and mind.All eprdfiets know that,too.Birtukan Mideksa’s stay in jail was a divine intervantion to save the puplic from the anger that would have been unleashed by killer gangesters of desperate melles,if what happend in 1997 repeated itself in 2002.All happened for good.So,mr zeberga,the thing is “sintewawek antenanek.”
“Birtukan said that she requested pardon from government.”
It does not matter whether she was released on pardon or not so long as she is out of Zenawi’s mass prison and torture chamber!!!
Thank you Birtukan!!
We all know well what the Weyane gangsters and their medias are experts at doing. I do not believe what they rant about. She is our hero and she will remain our hero. The dictator want to release her because he knows what the European election observers to report soon. So he wants to change the melody.
congra congra congra what ever the case is her release is the primary issue. and the way , process and time of her relese shows to me how she is strong and challenging to woyane. melese zenawi wants to be a winner always but he lose the competition many times he is like a Tyre without air.
Birtukan’s interview with ETV: http://www.ethiotube.net/video/10958/ETV-Breaking-News-Birtukan-Mideksa-freed-from-prison
We will ask Meles the reason why he imprisoned Birtukan when we put him in prison and I hope he will reply the truth, which we already know!!!
When he dismissed 42 University professors and Lecturers in 1993, Zenawi said he can dismiss people for hating the color of their eyes.
Zenawi imprisoned Birtukan, because he hates Birtukanama Abiyot (Revolution)!!
Ere lemehonu
What kind of “criminals”, in the government context, get released upon pleading a pardon? There are many who are unlawfully life-imprisoned just like BirtuKan who are not given this condition of pleading-pardon-for-release.
BirtuKan’s case is different because getting BirtuKan to appeal for pardon is a way of shattering down the solidarity of the spirit of Ethiopians that has been growing highly stronger because of the spirit and endurance of BirtuKan. So for whatever reason that BirtuKan has asked for pardon she has never been the target but the spirit is.
Forcing Birtukan by AK-47 to sign a document does not show Zenawi’s strength but his fundamental weakness and the brutality of his rule. He needs this to feed Bireket Simon’s propaganda mill and TPLF thugs. In any case, Birtukan is morally and spirituality the Winner!
Mahlet: I know several of them. They want to play us hide and seek. Now, the election has passed,some say, and that is why she is released. This idea is deeply charalatan in explanation as it presumes that if she were not in prison the result of the election could have changed. And thas not true to assume.As cowardly as I am, I have left that country for good but I am still after the news.
What will this woman do next? What should she do? Help her in giving ideas -If I were she, …….
It is great to hear at last Birtukan set free,but I still pessimist of our political situation ,means unless we stop thinking by tribe or blood ,this brutality keeps on transferring among us ,yesterday was Minilik,today Melese,tomorrow….,Please let us hold hand and work to change our political status ,which gives us a lot of pain in all aspect.once again I beg of our nation to show tolerance, and seek political maturity ,just for the sake of our own welfare.
Make no mistake as Meles still carring a stick when ever the is become treat to strick her. Now she must be politician not only judicial. When you change your carrier you must also change your practic not neccessury you don’t habe to be patalogical layer but your fight is with patalogical layer who never give a dame about any value or humanity. They aleady consumed their humanity in the jungle. they are also experianced exterminater of they enemy