Senate debates Ethiopia: Prisoners of Conscience


Lyn Allison

Lyn Allison Victoria, Australian Democrats

10:01 am

I move:

That the Senate—

(a)
notes:
(i)
the imprisonment since November 2005 by the Ethiopian Government of members of the main opposition party, representatives of civic organisations and the banned free press, and
(ii)
these prisoners are declared by Amnesty International to be prisoners of conscience; and
(b)
urges the Government to make representations to the Ethiopian Government asking for the release of these prisoners of conscience, and to accept the results of the 2005 democratic election.

Question negatived.

Bob Brown

Bob Brown Tasmania, Australian Greens

Mr Deputy President, I ask that the Australian Greens support for that motion be recorded.

Steve Fielding

Steve Fielding Victoria, Family First Party

Mr Deputy President, I ask that Family First’s support for that motion be recorded.

John Hogg

John Hogg Deputy-President

That will be done accordingly.