Eskinder Nega and Andualem Arage. (Image: Amnesty International)
XinhuaADDIS ABABA — The Ethiopian government on Thursday gave pardons to 746 suspects including prominent opposition figure Andualem Arage and dissident journalist Eskinder Nega.
The Ethiopia Federal Attorney General said the prisoners will be freed after their pardons are approved by President Mulatu Teshome and they will receive rehabilitation training, reported state media Radio Fana.
Andualem Arage, Deputy Chairman of the opposition Unity, Democracy and Justice (UDJ) and Eskinder Nega, owner of several critical newspapers were jailed on September 2011 on terrorism related charges.
The Ethiopian government has characterized the mass prisoner release programs as part of efforts to create national consensus and widen political space.