Dinner Celebrating the Release of Ethiopian Prisoners of Conscience

I was honored to be included in a dinner Saturday night honoring members of Ethiopia's opposition party, considered by Amnesty International to be prisoners of conscience, who were recently released from prison. The dinner was attended by several hundred members of the Cambridge and Greater Boston Ethiopian community. Upon the request of several members of Cambridge's Ethiopian community, I recently passed a council order calling for the release of additional
prisoners of conscience and calling for the passage of HR 2003 to link aid to Ethiopia with human
rights.

I was inspired to hear the stories of these political leaders who were in prison for nearly two years and remained steadfast in their commitment to democracy and the rule of law. I can only imagine what it felt like to be thrown in prison for standing up for your values, to be charged with outrageous crimes, to be worried about the safety and well-being of your family and to have no idea when (or if) you would be released. It's a stark reminder that we in America have the luxury to take rights for granted that others must make extreme sacrifices to pursue.