n a statement he released today at press conference held at his Office, Attorney General Birhanu Tsegaye said that suspects especially of terrorism used to be detained in ghost prisons across the country and tortured by operatives of the National Information and Security Services (NISS).
Birhanu revealed there were at least seven such detention centers in Addis Ababa alone and that the detainees are kidnapped using ambulances before being subject to inhuman torture at the ghost prisons.
These prisons, Birhanu said, were used for brutal torture acts including electric shocks, waterboarding, depriving them of sunlight, making detainees spend multiple nights in a jungle naked and alone, pushing pens through detainees’ noses, nail removals, and terrorizing suspects using firearms.
These torture tactics were officially recognized by the intelligence apparatus as a legitimate torture procedure and further directions were given to practice them.
Apart from this, suspects are framed by putting various evidences in their houses. Furthermore, women and men were raped, repeatedly, Birhanu added.
Regarding corruption, especially concerning the Metals and Engineering Corporation (MetEC), Birhanu said the suspects were detained in relation to mega government projects, illegal purchases and money laundering activities. He mentioned that huge purchases were conducted without any tender process.
36 individuals were detained in relation to human rights abuses while while the rest 27 were rested for corrupt.
TheReporterEthiopia