Ethiopia offers political prisoners | News by Country

ADDIS ABABA, July 20 (Reuters) – Ethiopia has pbaded a law that has been pbaded down to the last two decades of security-obsessed rule.

The law is in line with a breathtaking series of political and economic reforms in Ethiopia, a country of 100 million people, since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in April. Among the reforms is a rapprochement with Ethiopia.

The government of Abiyas predecessor, Hailemariam Desalegn, detained around 30,000 people, often under harsh anti-terrorism laws, in response to three years of protests. Detainees included students, opposition leaders, journalists and bloggers.

Security forces also killed hundreds to protest against economic mismanagement, inequality and repression.

"The law grants and prosecutions of individuals and groups, under investigation of convictions and treason," state-affiliated news agency Fana reported.

Abiy has decried state abuses and compared brutality by security forces to state terrorism. Local journalists have been released since April. The information minister did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Several detainees say they were tortured and held underground in solitary confinement for months.

Abiy this month sacked the head of the prison and other senior prison officials hours before a Human Rights Watch report.

Parliament also ruled that the Oromo Liberation Front and the Ogaden National Liberation Front, two secessionist groups, and the 'Ginbot 7', were exiled opposition movements.

Abiy visited Cairo in June and secured the release of imprisoned Ethiopians there. In May in Saudi Arabia, he secured the release of around 1,000 jailed Ethiopians.

Some in the ruling coalition opposes Abiy's reforms because they could not agree. Abiy could also face a stiff test at elections in 2020 from opposition parties empowered by the reforms.

New York-based Human Rights Watch said this week Abiy is yet to commit to the investigation of torture of detainees, the killing of protesters by security forces and other serious abuses.

The group called on the government to repeal the anti-terrorism law, to protect the possibility that Ethiopians can be for expressing dissident views. (Editing by Elias Biryabarema and Matthew Mpoke Bigg)