CAMPAIGN STATEMENT

Agaezi Women Association: We Refuse Silence — Justice for Zewdu Haftu Must Prevail!!

For Immediate Release

The release of those convicted in the killing of Zewdu Haftu is a painful reminder that justice for women in Tigray remains under threat.

Agaezi Women Association stands with grief, anger, and determination alongside Zewdu’s family, survivors of gender-based violence, and all people who refuse to accept a society where violence against women is forgotten and accountability is weakened.

According to Yikhono, a Tigrayan women’s advocacy movement, Yared Gebreselassie and Angesom Hailemariam—convicted in connection with the killing of Zewdu Haftu and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole—have reportedly been released from prison.

For nearly two years, Zewdu’s family and supporters endured delays, pressure, and a painful struggle to see justice served. The court’s decision had represented hope that even the most powerful could be held accountable. The reported release of those convicted has shattered that hope and raised serious concerns about the strength and independence of the justice system.

Zewdu Haftu was 32 years old when her life was brutally taken on August 19, 2023. Her death was an act of unimaginable violence that shook our community. But the greatest injustice would be allowing her name, her suffering, and the suffering of countless women to be forgotten.

We reject silence.

We reject a system where victims are left carrying the burden of injustice while those responsible escape accountability.

We reject a future where women’s lives are treated as expendable.

Agaezi Women Association demands:

1. Truth and transparency
The authorities must provide a clear public explanation regarding the circumstances surrounding the release of the convicted individuals.

2. Accountability without exception
Anyone who interfered with, obstructed, or undermined the pursuit of justice must be investigated and held accountable according to the law.

3. Protection of women’s rights
The safety, dignity, and justice of women must become a fundamental commitment, not an empty promise.

4. A justice system that serves the people
Courts and institutions must be protected from intimidation, influence, and interference.

The killing of Zewdu Haftu is not only a case. It is a test of our collective conscience.

A society that remains silent in the face of violence against women gives permission for injustice to continue. A society that abandons victims abandons its own humanity.

Today, we raise our voices for Zewdu.

We raise our voices for every woman who has suffered in silence.

We raise our voices because justice delayed must not become justice denied.

The struggle continues. The demand remains clear:

Justice for Zewdu Haftu.
Justice for every victim of gender-based violence.
No more silence. No more impunity.

Berhan Sabawit Agaezit

Agaezi Women Association (AWA)

President