Ethiopian Military Court on Friday passed capital punishment on several senior army officers who were found guilty for conspiring with the rebel Tigray People Liberation Front to launch attacks on the national army.
The punishment came after the court martial of the Western Command had been looking into cases of Defense Force members who were involved in betrayal and subversive actions by facilitating attack for the TPLF forces.
According to a statement issued by the Ethiopian National Defense Forces the defendants majority of whom Tigrayan speaking members were accused of working with the rebel force and preparing to launch an attack no lesser than the onslaught on the northern command.
The verdicts were passed after witnesses were heard and evidence organized and analyzed.
Colonel Marye Ebabu, head of the court martial for the Western Command, is cited as saying that there were several officers who received a mission from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) to disorient the country’s Defense members.
Worse, according to the Ethiopian Defense Force report, there were also others who were in possession of lethal poison with which they intended to kill members of the Ethiopian defense force. The poison was uncovered during a search of suspected members of the defense force.
The report added that some other sympathizers to the TPLF within the army were engaged in social media mobilization calling for an end to government terms in office by October 10, 2020.
Suspects were charged with treason and are sentenced to death and life in prison. Colonel Marye also said that they have a right to appeal the decision.
Members of the defense force who committed a treasonous act against the Northern Command are also charged. And they were allowed to have a defense lawyer.
The statement from the Defense Force unspecified the number of suspects facing treason charges and those who are sentenced to death and life in prison.
MG/abj/APA