Prominent Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) leaders targeted for assassination according to the Federal Charges against Jawar Mohammed.
Jawar Siraj Mohammed, a self-proclaimed political analyst and activist, is charged with multiple crimes including terror, firearm offenses, and telecom fraud, along with 22 other individuals and a media house (the Oromia Media Network (OMN)) that he used to run.
The defendants appeared at the Federal Supreme Court, Lideta criminal bench in Addis Ababa. The multiple charges (Ten) filed by the Federal Attorney-General stated that the defendants have breached the Ethiopian Penal Code Articles 32/1/ ሀ and ለ ፣35 ፣ 38 and 240 1/ሀ/ ፣/ለ/ and /2/ by allegedly being involved in major crimes along with their accomplices targeting to dismantle constitutional order, inciting ethnic and religious strife, and civil war, attempting to forcefully take control of the government structure and claiming transitional government unconstitutionally. The charges also include violating the “Prevention and Control of Terrorism Proclamation #1176/2012, Telecom Fraud Proclamation #761/2004, Weapons Management and Control Proclamation #1177/2012 “.
Per the details of the charges, the defendants allegedly began mobilizing in September 2019 and they have been using various media and social networking sites to incite violent civil strife. More so, the details stated that the defendants by taking advantage of the assassination of the renowned Ethiopian singer, Hachalu Hundessa, incited large-scale violence targeting ethnic Amhara an Orthodox Christian believers. The charge further details that following the incitement of the defendants, 167 people were killed, 360 people were seriously injured and 4,673,031,142 ETB worth of property was destroyed in the various zones and cities of the Oromia Administrative Region, 13 deaths and 48,026,526 ETB in property damage have occurred in various parts of Addis Ababa.
In addition, Jawar Mohammed is charged with plotting assassination plans to execute prominent Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) leaders. According to the charge details, he was allegedly involved in training 15 young men, giving them instructions, and planning the assassination Five EOTC Bishops and two church fathers, and labeling as obstacles/enemies and painting bleak pictures the EOTC and Mahebere Kidusan (a religious association under EOTC Sunday school Department) that need to be eliminated. The charge details did not disclose the names and details of the Five Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) Bishops and two church fathers.
According to BBC News (9/22/2020), Jawar told the Supreme Court that he is “proud” to be charged with terrorism.
