Getachew  Assefa, former Director General of NISS, and three other  former officials identifed as Atsebha Gidey, Assefa Belay, and Shishay  Leul, were charged in absentia at the Lideta Federal High Court,  according to a statement issued by office of the Federal Attorney  General on Tuesday

The  defendants are suspected of gross human  rights violations such as  torture, forced confessions, sodomy, rape,  electrocution, and arbitrary  detention of people including in secret  facilities.

The Attorney General filed a total of 46 charges against the defendants.

Getachew has been hiding in the country's Tigray regional state which  has refused to hand over the suspect to the central government since the new administration under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in April last year.

He is accused of the killing of hundreds of people and the unlawful detention of thousands following widespread protests against the erstwhile government of Abiy's predecessor.

Other 25  former officials and employees of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), were also charged over the same case.

MG/as/APA