“I thought I was going to live in jail forever”

Biniam Taddese is a 6th grade student. He and his younger brother grew up in Addis Ababa, around Charkos. His mother sold small foodstuffs on the street to pay for their education. Following the spate of violence that took place in Addis in November of 2005 following controversial May elections, Biniam was detained as a suspect for participating in the violence and was charged with treason and committing acts of genocide. His age has been the subject of much debate. He and his family claim that he is 14 years old, but the court ruled that Biniam is between the ages of 16 and 18. After four months of imprisonment, Biniam was released last Wednesday, March 22nd, when the prosecutor withdrew all the charges against him and 17 other defendants. SSI’s Simegnish Yekoye had a talk with Biniam and his mother.

SSI: Let’s first talk of your arrest. How did police take you into custody?
Biniam: It was November 22nd, 2005 that police took me. I was at school the whole morning and when I got back home no one was there, so I went out to play football with my friends. But on my way police stopped me and took me to the Woreda 21, Kirkos sub-city police station. I didn’t know at first why they were taking me, and I was sure they would release me when they found out they were mistaken. After I reached to the station, they told me that I have taken part in the violence that took place in Addis Ababa in October, burning the house of a lady living nearby. I was totally confused and told them I would never do that and I am only 14 years old. But no one was listening to what I had to say. Even the police registered my age as 16. I even tried to show them the exam result paper I received that day from school, but the police torn it up.

SSI: What did you feel at that time?
Biniam: I was shocked and cried a lot. They didn’t ask me any further questions and I couldn’t explain anything. They couldn’t even hear me when I told them to call my teachers and prove that I was there.

SSI: Where did they take you then?
Biniam: They made me stay in the police station for 10 days and took me to the main detention center. It was after another 15 days of stay at the detention center that they brought me to the court.

SSI: How was your stay in the prison?
Biniam: I did not have any real trouble in the prison. My mom and other family members used to visit me every Saturday and they brought me food, too. Sometimes they would call me for questioning and try to terrify me, saying they will do bad things to me unless I admit to what they say I did. Other detainees got backbitten after they were taken for questioning, but not me.

SSI: When were the charges against you changed from participating in violence to treason and committing genocide?
Biniam: When I first appeared in the court, they accused me of burning the house of a lady and joining violence actions. Then the judge appointed 14 days time for investigation. Then again, added another 7 days. Finally they closed the file and transferred it to the federal high court, where jailed CUD (Coalition for Unity and Democracy) leaders were [facing trial]. It was then that the charge was changed. One charge grew into seven. It is still not that clear to me.

SSI: Did they tell you why they were changing the charge?
Biniam: No, they never asked me any questions, and there was no crosscheck investigation. They simply kept me in the prison and would take me to the court on the scheduled day. I didn’t know what to ask.

SSI: Did you expect the charge would get this complicated when you first appeared in court?
Biniam: As I told you, I was thinking they would release me after they asked me some questions and find out that they had the wrong person. When that didn’t happen I was hoping on my first day of appearing in the court the judge would be able to consider my age and let me go. But when they kept on scheduling sessions I started to loose hope. I even thought I was going to live in jail forever.

SSI: You always had your school uniform on whenever you appeared in court, why was that?
Biniam: It was my mother’s idea. We thought if the judge saw me with my uniform, he would be able to realize my age and consider releasing me. But after he passed his judgment that my age is above 16, I changed my clothes.

SSI: Tell me of this controversy on your age, when were you born?
Biniam: I was born in 1992 and I have a birth certificate given by the church to prove that.

SSI: How did you feel when the judge ruled your age was between 16 and 18 from inquiry results from the Black Lion Hospital, and that your birth certificate wasn’t real?
Biniam: I didn’t even look up. I kept my head down because I was scared that I would never be able to be with my family again. It was also when I gave up hope and thought I was never going to get out of prison, because the birth certificate was the only hope we had, and we were sure it was going to be enough for proofing my age.

SSI: Why did you refuse to be represented by a lawyer?
Biniam: My mother was tied up between two kinds of opinions she got from people, and it was difficult for her to choose. Some people told us that I needed to have a lawyer because the case is going to be hard. On the other hand, many others said there is no need for any as no one is going to listen to what we have to say and it won’t bring any change. But seeing the procedures in the court, we thought the second idea seemed convincing, and decided not to hire [a lawyer].

SSI: But the judge gave you another chance to think it over, saying you mayn’t be in a position to fully understand the matter.
Biniam:Yes, but I wasn’t going to change my decision. I would have still said ‘I don’t need any lawyer’ if he asked me again.

SSI: When you appeared in court last Wednesday, did you expect to be released that day?
Biniam: No way. I had almost given up on the thought of getting released, and I was expecting the judge to ask me if I reached a decision to use a lawyer or not, as I was asked to consider my decision in the previous session. But when the prosecutor got up in the middle [of the session] and said he is going to drop the charges of some people, Birtukan Mideksa [Deputy Chairman of the CUD] leaned towards me and said I was going to be released.

SSI: How did you feel when you heard your name among the released ones?
Biniam: I was very happy. I looked up to look for my mom but she wasn’t there and someone told me she didn’t get in. All the prisoners, including CUD leaders, were happy for me and they all congratulated me. But I didn’t believe that I was going to be released until I finally got out and met my family.

SSI: The prosecutor did say it has a right to resume the charges whenever necessary. Did they say anything to you when you were released?
Biniam: It is only in the court I heard the prosecutor say there could be a possible restart of the case. But we were told nothing when we got out of prison. They simply told us that we are free to go after they got the release order from the court.

SSI: When did you get home?
Biniam: It was the same night they released eight of us. When I reached home, my grandmother, my aunt, my brother, all my neighbors and family members were home shouting and crying with happiness. My mom came late because she went to the detention center to bring me home. But we passed each other on the way. Everyone was hugging me and was telling me congratulations. I also was crying, for finally being with my family after four months of arrest.

SSI: You have missed class for more than four months now. Are you going to resume your schooling?
Biniam: My education is messed up a lot. I know all my teachers and school administrators are sorry for what happened to me, but they said it is for a very long time I missed class and they can’t let me continue with the others. So I have to wait until next year to restart the whole class again. They said there is nothing they are going to do for me other than this.

SSI: How do you feel about that?
Biniam: It is really sad. I was eager to join my friends at school and continue my education when I got released. Because I know it is the only way out to help my family. But it isn’t going to happen now. Maybe I will stay and help my mother sell chewing gum, candy and some other items to bring money home until next year.

SSI: What are your dreams for your future?
Biniam: I have always thought of becoming a pilot when I finish up school, and still it is what I wish for. But I don’t know yet how it will be real if I can’t continue my education.

“It terrifies you to see your 14 year-old boy in prison” -Martha Taddese, mother of Biniam

SSI: You weren’t in the court when the judge ordered the release of your son, why is that?
Martha: To attend every court session you need to have an entrance card and they used to announce to the media to take the card a day before. But that day there was no announcement and I didn’t know the card was given. So when I went to the court on the scheduled day, they wouldn’t let me in, even when I begged them. I had to stay at the opposite side of the street until it was over and people came out.

SSI: Who told you he was released?
Martha: I was staring at the gate door to see a person coming out and ask what happened. After it was over a man first came out and when I asked him, he told me some people were released, including the 14 year-old boy. I couldn’t believe my ears until a woman I knew shouted congratulations and gave me a hug. I had given up hope after it was ruled that his age was above 16, and I was only praying for a miracle to happen.

SSI: What did you feel when the court rejected the birth certificate you showed to the court that says your son is 14?
Martha: It was our big hope that was taken away from us. I don’t understand why the church would say they never issued it, because it is where I got the certificate from when he was baptized. I was confused that day and it was only praying I could do for my little boy.

SSI: What kind of boy is Biniam?
Martha: He is a very quiet one. He is shy and doesn’t easily communicate with people he doesn’t know, and he only likes playing football with his friends. He doesn’t even enter in many arguments, not even to participate in violence.

SSI: How did you find out about his arrest for the first time?
Martha: Bini lives with my mother, and I didn’t hear of his arrest until my sister came and told me the next day. I never expected such a thing to happen to my boy, as he is only a kid. So I ran to the police station to find him. But I had to go to four other stations before I found where he is and when I did I couldn’t stop crying.

SSI: Did you visit him while he was in prison?
Martha: Yes, every Saturday at 2:00 pm I went and visited him with some food and to see how he is doing. But whenever I did, it terrified me to see my 14 year-old boy in prison for nothing he knows about. That is why I always cried each time I got back home from seeing him.

SSI: Did you see any change in him after he was released?
Martha: Yes. Biniam has grown older than his age. He has also developed a much stronger thinking [ability] than he used to have, and he feels like he is no longer a child.

SSI: He was told that he cannot continue his education until next year. What are you going to do?
Martha: That is what is worrying me. I raised my two boys peddling on the street foodstuffs, hoping one day when they finish school they will have a better life. But if that isn’t going to happen it tears me apart inside. But I guess if he will have some hope for next year he will stay with me and help me out at home.