These people are prisoners of conscience, imprisoned solely on account of their non-violent opinions and activities.

This meeting was a transparent meeting – previously known to the authorities – of those working towards peace and justice in the region.

Civilians in the east are looking to their government for protection. But in many cases government soldiers are acting little better than the insurgent groups.

This plan is welcome. But fundamental problems relating to the discipline, training and accountability of the integrated brigades need also to be addressed as a matter of priority.

Opposition parties, human rights defenders and journalists should be free to carry out their legitimate activities without fear of arbitrary detention, lengthy and possibly unfair trials on political charges, or other human rights violations.

The army must demonstrate that it is capable of acting for the protection of all civilians, irrespective of their ethnic, community or political affiliation.

The government’s actions have undermined the credibility and authority of the AU at a time when it is meeting in the Sudanese capital.

However, real unification of the armed forces is a prerequisite for elections that are free of human rights abuses, and for the success of future peace-building in the country,

This very worrying trial has major implications for human rights, media freedom and democratization in Ethiopia. It will be a crucial test of the independence and impartiality of the Ethiopian judiciary.

It is a fundamental principle of criminal justice that justice delayed is justice denied.

The failure by the DRC government to create a professional, truly unified army is contributing in a large measure to the continuing instability in the east and needlessly putting civilian lives at risk.

It is not enough for the Nigerian government to initiate an investigation. We need an international commission of inquiry that will report directly to the UN Secretary-General and make its findings public.

We call on the Ethiopian government to halt the police violence and set up an independent and impartial commission of inquiry.