Ethiopia: Suspension of three human rights organizations highlights growing crackdown on civic space

Responding to the Ethiopian authorities’ suspension of three prominent human rights organizations — Association for Human Rights in Ethiopia (AHRE), Center for Advancement of Rights and Democracy (CARD), and Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) — Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, said:

“Amnesty International condemns the suspension of AHRE, CARD and LHR based on vague and unsubstantiated allegations of ‘lack of political neutrality’ and ‘engaging against the national interest’. Such allegations have long been used by the Ethiopian authorities as tools to suppress civil society organizations. The federal government should immediately reverse these suspensions, which are in violation of the human rights to association and freedom of expression and should never have happened in the first place.

“Amid reports of escalating conflict, mass arbitrary detentions and forced evictions, the role of civil society and media is more critical in Ethiopia than ever. The suspension of these three prominent human rights organizations highlights a growing crackdown on civic space, compounded by the lack of accountability for recent targeting of human rights defenders.

“The international community must act decisively. Ethiopia’s development partners should abandon their ‘policy of no policy’ stance following the expiration of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia’s mandate and prioritize human rights in their engagement with the government. The UN Human Rights Council must urgently revisit its approach on Ethiopia and take steps towards establishing a mechanism to investigate, document and preserve evidence of human rights violations committed in the Amhara, Oromia and Tigray armed conflicts.”

Background

On 14 November 2024, the Authority for Civil Society Organizations (ACSO) suspended CARD, citing alleged political bias and activities contrary to national interests. The use of these vaguely worded restrictions to curtail freedom of association is contrary to Ethiopia’s regional and international human rights law obligations. CARD denies the accusations, highlighting procedural irregularities and affirming its commitment to impartiality and human rights. On 21 November 2024, ACSO issued similar suspension notices to Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) and the Association for Human Rights in Ethiopia (AHRE). Both organizations reject the claims and are pursuing legal remedies to resume their operations.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.