Ethiopian.Defenders

“Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to table e-petition 7556. The petitioners highlight that, since early 2023, armed conflict in the Amhara region of Ethiopia has involved Ethiopian government forces carrying out indiscriminate violence and sexual gender-based violence against civilian populations and infrastructure, including through the use of aerial strikes, leaving more than 4.4 million children out of school and hundreds of thousands displaced. The petitioners also highlight that the Ethiopian government has carried out the arbitrary detentions and torture of Amhara journalists, civilian society leaders, members of Parliament and opposition figures. They highlight that the incumbent Prosperity Party administration won 90% of federal Parliament seats in the June 2026 general election despite ongoing armed conflicts, mass civilian displacement, suppression of civilian society and opposition, and the exclusion of major ethnic communities, making conditions for a free and inclusive vote impossible. The petitioners note that Canada provides over $147 million in development assistance to Ethiopia and maintains significant diplomatic, commercial and humanitarian interests in the country and the Horn of Africa. They are calling on the government to consider the application of the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act to oppose targeted sanctions on individuals credibly identified as responsible for grave human rights violations in Ethiopia. They publicly demand an immediate ceasefire in the Amhara region and the unconditional release of all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience held by the Ethiopian government. Lastly, the petitioners call on the Government of Ethiopia for strengthened transparency around the June 2026 general election results toward an inclusive democratic process.”