AU Rights Body Hears Case Accusing Ethiopian Gov’t of ‘Widespread’ Rights Violations during, after Tigray War

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) held a public oral hearing on 14 May 2025 in a case filed by Legal Action Worldwide (LAW) and its partners, accusing the Ethiopian government of committing “widespread human rights violations” during the Tigray war—violations they allege “have persisted” despite the signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) in November 2022. In a statement following the hearing, Legal Action Worldwide (LAW) and partners described it as “growing international recognition” of what it said were grave violations committed by Ethiopia against civilians, including “mass killings and sexual violence,” as well as forced displacement, famine, and a prolonged communication blackout…The hearing is part of a broader series of international efforts seeking accountability…The complaint echoes findings by the now-dissolved International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE), which, in its final report before its mandate expired in October 2023, documented evidence of “war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on a staggering scale.” (Addis Standard)