Fw: very urgent appeal

For those of you interested in political prisoner issues, here is something
that has been circulating on the internet --

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>Some of you may remember that I asked you for help  last year for a friend
>who is being railroaded, perhaps may be murdered, by the fascist govt of
>Ethiopia.  Details of the case are below, updated from last year.  At
>present Taye and 20 others     have been found guilty--the court even
>reinstated charges they  dropped last year after the witnesses  admitted to
>false testimony under torture. Anything is possible, including a life
>sentence, which under Ethiopian prison conditions is a death sentence- and
>political assassinations are frequent.  Sentencing has been set for June
>10th- that's Thursday. Please send FAXes expressing concern to the two
>addresses below. THIS MUST BE DONE RIGHT AWAY. (If you forget, do it
>anyway- the court might drag its feet on this the way it did pronouncing a
>verdict.) Please also forward the info to other listservs with possible
>sympathetic readership.
> The U.S. State Dept officer has been attending the trial off and on. For
>obscure reasons of U.S. policy (hedging bets?) they, or at least Madeline
>Seidenstricker, their human rights officer,  have recently shown interest
>in the case. She's been FAXing information to Taye's supporters in the U.S.
>As explained below, use stuffy/professional  language and affiliations, and
>resist the temptation to put "Excellency" and "human rights" in quotes.
>
>     His Excellency Meles Zenawi
>>                                           Prime Minister
>>                                           Prime Minister's Office
>>                                           P.O.Box 1031
>>                                           Addis Ababa
>>                                           Ethiopia.
>
>
>                                    FAX: 251 1 55 20 30
>
>Madeline Quinn Seidenstricker
>Human Rights Officer
>U.S. State Dept.
>Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
>FAX > 251-1-55-01-74
>
>(It's important to send a copy to the State Dept official, not in the least
>because the Prime Minister's fax number frequently changes.  Please request
>that she forward it also.)
>
>Last year's appeal, updated, with sample letter:
>
>>I need help from anyone reading this-  A dear friend of mine(formerly a
>>student at Missouri) is at risk of being killed for union activity in
>>Ethiopia.  While he does not share the politics of many grunderites, he is
>>a principled, courageous,  and  honest anti-racist who deserves our
>>support.  Dr. Taye Woldesmiate was a political science professor at Addis
>>Ababa University, fired for protesting government murders of striking
>>students.  At the time he was head of the Ethiopian Teachers' Association
>>(ETA), a  large teachers' union and the last independent union in
>>Ethiopia.  The current (EPLF) regime in Ethiopia has instituted a policy
>>of ethnic divisiveness, similar to that in Yugoslavia.  Taye and the ETA
>>were outspoken against this policy, especially where it affected
>>education.  The EPLF govt framed him in 1996 on ludicrous charges
>>(gun-running, planning to assassinating officials etc.). Taye's successor
>>in the ETA was machine gunned by soldiers last year and the govt has moved
>>to crush the ETA.   Taye has been on trial for two years now, a
>>surrealistic procedure in a fascist country, and is imprisoned under
>>horrible conditions.   The government witnesses recanted their testimony
>>on the stand, stating that it had been obtained under torture, and the
>>government had to drop their main charges against him. Many international
>>organizations condemned his imprisonment, including the International
>>Labor Organization, AAAS, and Education International, and this
>>international publicity seemed to improve his treatment temporarily.  Now,
>>instead of releasing him, they (the prison guards) now threaten to shoot
>>him.  When he appealed to the court, the judge ordered him chained 24
>>hours a day until Sept 15.
>> BE CAREFUL IN HOW YOU WORD THE LETTER, and in what you might say about
>>the case on the internet. These people are fascists who torture and murder
>>on a daily basis. Being amateur fascists, they are somewhat unpredictable.
>>They may have somewhat of a selfish interest in maintaining links with
>>academics and labor unions abroad.  Write it in your stuffiest prose, on
>>official (e.g. departmental, PTA, church) stationery if you can scrounge
>>any.  Don't identify yourself with any political group to the left of the
>>Episcopalian Church, especially since you're sending a letter to the U.S.
>>State Dept. .Current U.S. policy favors, and bankrolls,  Ethiopia as an
>>ally against Sudan. (The big fascists in the U.S. were dismayed when
>>Ethiopia got distracted from its "mission" against Sudan and went to war
>>with Eritrea, another U.S. ally).  Sample letter follows.
>>Thank you,
>>Miriam
>>
>>>His Excellency Meles Zenawi
>>>Prime Minister
>>>Prime Minister's Office
>>>P.O. Box 1031
>>>Addis Ababa
>>>Ethiopia
>>>FAX 2511 514300
>>>
>>>Your Excellency:
>>>
>>> As a former colleague (at University of Missouri) of Dr. Taye
>>>Woldesmiate, I am outraged to learn that he has been found guilty of
>>>fabricated charges.  The international community of scientists, labor
>>>organizations, and educators regards Dr. Woldesmiate as a prisoner of
>>>conscience.  I must warn you that the case still commands international
>>>attention and that scientists and academics worldwide will boycott
>>>Ethiopia if it continues to persecute Dr. Taye and other educators.  We
>>>know that the government had to drop many charges because witnesses
>>>recanted their testimony, citing torture.  Apparently some of these
>>>charges were added back at the last minute-a procedure contrary to all
>>>standards of justice.  I and many colleagues at the University of
>>>Missouri condemn the arbitrary imprisonment of Dr. Taye, and urge you to
>>>release him immediately and cease harassment of other ETA officials.
>>>
>>> In 1997 the American Association for the Advancement of Science
>>>(AAAS), of which I am a member, passed a resolution condemning the
>>>treatment of Dr. Taye and other political prisoners.  Ethiopia receives
>>>many benefits from international scientific collaboration; for instance,
>>>Ethiopian scientists have a distinguished reputation in paleoanthropology
>>>and medicine,  based in part on international collaborative efforts.  At
>>>this moment of international financial crisis,  Ethiopia can ill afford
>>>to antagonize its friends in the United States and Europe.
>>>
>>>Sincerely yours,
>>>
>>>
>>>Dr. Miriam Golomb
>>>Associate Professor, Biological Sciences
>>>University of Missouri-Columbia
>
>CC: Ms. Madeline Seidenstricker, Human Rights Officer, U.S. State Dept.