The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission) held an oral hearing in a case accusing Ethiopia of widespread human rights violations in the Tigray region. The hearing, held on 14 May 2025, featured the voices of survivors shared by advocates.
The case, filed in October 2022 by Legal Action Worldwide (LAW), the Pan-African Lawyers Union (PALU), and Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, represents victims of atrocities committed during the genocidal war on Tigray between 2020 and 2022.
The Commission had previously issued provisional measures in October 2022, ordering Ethiopia to cease extrajudicial killings, torture, sexual and gender-based violence, and the targeting of humanitarian aid workers. According to the applicants, Ethiopia has not complied with these measures, and the violations did not end with the signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) in November 2022.
The Commission’s decision to hold an oral hearing is seen by the applicants as recognition of the grave violations, which they say include mass killings, sexual violence, forced displacement, famine, and a communication blackout.
The legal team stated that justice must follow acknowledgment. A decision from the African Commission is expected in due course.
—–
The press release in Tigrigna, Amharic and English languages.