Twenty three died in Ethiopia prison fire
Emmanuel Igunza
BBC Africa, Nairobi
Posted at
17:18
5 Sept
Ethiopia's government has confirmed that 23 people died when fire broke out in a prison where prominent anti-government protesters are reportedly being held.
A statement from the government affairs communications team says 21 inmates died due to stampede and suffocation while two others were killed as they tried to escape Qilinto prison, on the outskirts of the capital Addis Ababa on Saturday.
But some local media have disputed the account citing unnamed witnesses who claim to have seen prisoners being shot by prison wardens.
We reported earlier that the Ethiopian government had acknowledged the fire but previously did not specify the number of deaths.Inside Ethiopia's Qilinto prison !
Posted at
16:52
5 Sept
Journalist Tesfalem Waldyes, who was held in the prison for a year until July 2015, writes about life there:
Ethiopia's Qilinto prison - where a fire broke out at the weekend - is a remand facility, where people can be held for three years or more as they await trial.
It hosts around 3,000 inmates at a time who are held in cells measuring 24m by 12m. The number of prisoners kept in a cell varies from 90 to 130.
All types of prisoners are held there but it is where political prisoners including bloggers, journalists and activists are usually sent.
Customarily, political prisoners mix with other criminals but they are usually locked up in a designated "Kitat Bet" (punishment house) or "dark house" if they complain about mistreatment.
Inmates can be exposed to communicable diseases due to overcrowding and get poor medical attention.
Due to the bad quality of food provided by the prison administration, prisoners mainly depend on food brought in by their families !
Emmanuel Igunza
BBC Africa, Nairobi
Posted at
17:18
5 Sept
Ethiopia's government has confirmed that 23 people died when fire broke out in a prison where prominent anti-government protesters are reportedly being held.
A statement from the government affairs communications team says 21 inmates died due to stampede and suffocation while two others were killed as they tried to escape Qilinto prison, on the outskirts of the capital Addis Ababa on Saturday.
But some local media have disputed the account citing unnamed witnesses who claim to have seen prisoners being shot by prison wardens.
We reported earlier that the Ethiopian government had acknowledged the fire but previously did not specify the number of deaths.Inside Ethiopia's Qilinto prison !
Posted at
16:52
5 Sept
Journalist Tesfalem Waldyes, who was held in the prison for a year until July 2015, writes about life there:
Ethiopia's Qilinto prison - where a fire broke out at the weekend - is a remand facility, where people can be held for three years or more as they await trial.
It hosts around 3,000 inmates at a time who are held in cells measuring 24m by 12m. The number of prisoners kept in a cell varies from 90 to 130.
All types of prisoners are held there but it is where political prisoners including bloggers, journalists and activists are usually sent.
Customarily, political prisoners mix with other criminals but they are usually locked up in a designated "Kitat Bet" (punishment house) or "dark house" if they complain about mistreatment.
Inmates can be exposed to communicable diseases due to overcrowding and get poor medical attention.
Due to the bad quality of food provided by the prison administration, prisoners mainly depend on food brought in by their families !
ምንም አስተያየቶች የሉም:
አስተያየት ይለጥፉ