Dears, Please-nominate-Ms.Aberash Berta, who has been imprisoned by Woyane since 1993, for the Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty. A prize of $500,000 is made every other year to an individual like Aberash Berta who has made great contribution to advance human rights. Their website is: www.cato.org/special/friedman/about.htmlJust log in to their website and click “2010 Friedman Prize Nominations” on the right-hand side or click the following link: www.cato.org/special/friedman/prize/friedmanform.html
Aberash Berta: Disappeared since 1993As a young woman she joined the Ethiopian people’s Revolutionary Party (EPRP established in 1972) struggling against the totalitarian Soviet backed regime of Mengistu Haile Mariam. She served no regime in any capacity. She fought for democracy in Addis Ababa and later on in rural areas with EPRP guerrillas and was wounded and was blinded in one eye. Aberash was captured by the incumbent Ethiopian regime of Mr. Meles Zenawi in Addis Ababa in mid 1993 a few days after EPRP leadership member Gebre Igziabher (Gaym) was martyred. She has been disappeared since along with Lemma Makonen and Tesfaye Kebede. For a while there was news that she was being held in Holeta, outside of Addis Ababa, and that she was not in good health. But later there was absolutely no news of her condition and that of her comrades. Inexplicably, local and international human rights bodies have chosen to remain silent on her case. Let us raise our voices calling for the release of Aberash Berta, a political prisoner for the last 16 years, by recognizing the price she paid for the respect of democratic rights in Ethiopia. Reply Forward
