Police Reform and Human Rights Protection in Ethiopia: The Case of Federal Police Crime Investigation Bureau
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Date
2020-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
As the measures of reform made by FDRE government beginning from 2015 to 2018 reform in
reforming all government institutions, the aim of this thesis is to explore the available progresses
in police organizations in human rights protection in Ethiopia during criminal investigation
process by focusing on Federal Crime Investigation Bureau. The prevalence of human rights
violations during criminal investigation process which government admitted following 2018
reform are taken as major problems of this study. By using qualitative research method; non probability (purposive) sampling technique; and semi-structured in-depth interview; observation
and document analysis as instruments of data collection, the researcher investigates whether
police reform has improved the human rights situation in the post reform period. Accordingly,
the findings of this study indicate that, though there are improvements in human rights
protections during criminal investigation process in terms of decrease in the incidence of
physical torture; allowing police organizations to human rights visitors; researchers, and
closing some police stations where citizen’s human rights were subjected for violations such as
Meakwlawi and Jail Ogaden, violations of human rights are continuing during Criminal
investigation process such as denying right of speedy trial; lack of equality before the law; and
compelling suspects to produce illegal confessions such as putting them at dark places. Finally,
based on these findings, the thesis recommends that: government should re-evaluate police
compliance in the process of sustaining police reform; Police Organization should give more
focus to Human Rights promotion in allocating smooth environments such as Human Rights
related complaints receiving mechanism and mainstreaming Human Rights to its all
departments in relation to Federal Crime Investigation Bureau; government should play its
significant roles to liable police members who have been violating Human Rights in the case of
Federal Crime Investigation Bureau; priority should be given by government to human rights
protection by providing the necessary logistics to police such as offices and custodies as soon as
possible to speed investigation process; and Police organizations should provide quality
trainings to investigators police to enhance their capacity of making quality investigations in
relation to Federal Crime Investigation Bureau.
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Keywords
: Police Reform, Human Rights Protection, Criminal Investigation, Police, Reform, Crime, Crime Investigation Bureau