Image: ZeHabesha News
Ethiopia’s prime minister has announced that the country will free all of its political prisoners, pardon them and close a notorious prison.
It’s a surprising turnaround for a government that has launched a sweeping crackdown on dissent and had not previously admitted that it is even holding political prisoners.
“Political prisoners that are facing prosecutions and are already under arrest will be released,” Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said at a press conference, according to The Associated Press. “And the notorious prison cell that was traditionally called Maekelawi will be closed down and turned into a museum.”