SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project investigates and reports attacks on higher education with the aim of raising awareness, generating advocacy, and increasing protection for scholars, students, and academic communities. Learn more.

Date of Incident: June 25, 2022

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances

Institution(s):Addis Ababa University

Region & Country:Eastern Africa | Ethiopia

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On June 25, 2022, Ethiopian police attacked Addis Ababa University students as they protested against ongoing ethnic violence against Amhara communities in the Wollega region of the country.

At least 150 students gathered on the campus of Addis Ababa University, where they marched peacefully. More students had reportedly sought to participate in the demonstration, but federal police prevented them from leaving campus to do so.

Police engaged students as they marched, beating and forcibly dispersing them. At least three students were hospitalized as a result.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about violent attacks on student protesters by state authorities in response to the non-violent exercise of freedom of expression and assembly on a university campus, conduct that is expressly protected by international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Ethiopia is a party. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, violent attacks on students undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally.

Sources:
https://borkena.com/2022/06/26/ethiopian-police-attacked-university-students-in-addis-ababa/
https://mereja.com/amharic/v2/727466
https://www.dw.com/am/ግድያ-ለማውገዝ-ሰልፍ-የወጡ-የዩነቨርሲቲ-ተማሪዎች-በፖሊስ-ተደበደቡ/a-62260958