ETHIOPIA. FOUR AIR FORCE PILOTS SENTENCED TO DEATH IN ABSENTIA

May 22, 2008: a military tribunal recently sentenced four Ethiopian Air Force pilots to death.
The pilots, who sought political asylum in 2007 and were tried in absentia, are Capt Samuel Getachew, Lt Haimanot Gebremariam, Lt Fikreselasie Feleke and Lt Yitbarek Takele.
Credible sources inside the TPLF [Tigray People's Liberation Front, a dominant party in the ruling coalition]-controlled defence establishment recently disclosed that the regime-appointed court martial passed the death sentence verdict on four air force pilots who decided to seek asylum in 2007 while on a training overseas.
At present, the four officers in exile are anxiously waiting for a speedy resettlement to another country. (Sources: BBC, 22/05/2008)