They have been in prison for more than three years after being captured during the government’s “law enforcement operation” in the Tigray region, launched in December 2020. The pardon was granted during the Ethiopian New Year after their cases were presented to the government’s amnesty board.
A statement from the defense force said they expressed remorse for the crime they committed and submitted applications to the Defense Force and Amnesty Board requesting pardon. They were pardoned “in accordance with Proclamation 840/2006, Article 3,” according to the Defense Force’s update.
“They committed crimes against the army and public interest,” violating “the constitutional mission they were given.” the statement noted,
The decision to release them was made as of September 10, 2024, on the eve of the Ethiopian New Year.
The attack on the Northern Command of the Ethiopian Defense Force triggered a bloody war between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Federal Government.
An estimated one million people, including civilians, are believed to have been killed as a result of the war. In addition to Tigray, the Afar and Amhara regions were also devastated, with a high number of civilian casualties and extensive destruction of infrastructure and public institutions.
MG/abj/APA