Also in December, Presidential Adviser Yemane Gebremeskel...

Also in December, Presidential Adviser Yemane Gebremeskel strongly rejected Ethiopian claims that its citizens in Eritrea were being denied freedom of movement. "The whole of Tigray (northern Ethiopia) is off limits to all foreigners including Eritreans. The regime in Addis Ababa has even prevented many Ethiopian parliamentarians from traveling to the region. Fifteen Eritreans were arrested and are being threatened with capital punishment for nothing more than being present in Tigray. For Eritreans in Ethiopia, arbitrary arrest, larceny and expulsion at the hands of the state have made all of their rights meaningless. Knowing the evenhanded treatment given to its citizens here and fully cognizant of its own crimes against ours, the regime in Addis Ababa's statements go beyond the pale," Gebremeskel said.