Revision 7558625 of "Blen Mesfin" on simplewiki

[[File:Ethiopia (Africa orthographic projection).svg|thumb|Ethiopia]]
'''Blen Mesfin''' (Amharic: ብሌን መስፍን) is an [[official]] in [[Ethiopia]]’s opposition Semayawi (Blue) [[Political party|Party]].  <ref name="humanrights.gov">{{cite web|url=http://www.humanrights.gov/freethe20/|title=#Freethe20 - HumanRights.gov is the official United States Government website for international human rights related information|access-date=18 July 2016|archive-date=16 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160716074211/http://www.humanrights.gov/freethe20/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2016 she was named one of twenty women political prisoners in the [[FreeThe20 campaign]] by [[Samantha Power]], the U.S. [[Ambassador]] to the [[United Nations]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/09/246541.htm|title=FreeThe20 Women Political Prisoners and Prisoners of Concern Campaign Launch|access-date=18 July 2016}}</ref> 

Mesfin was arrested at a protest in [[Addis Ababa]] in April 2015.<ref name="humanrights.gov"/>  The protest was for 26 Ethiopians killed by the a group called Islamic State in Libya.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/07/ethiopia-respect-court-rulings-and-release-opposition-members/|title=Ethiopia: Respect court rulings and release opposition members|access-date=18 July 2016}}</ref>  More than 30 members of the Semayawi Party were arrested before an April 27  political rally.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ecadforum.com/2014/04/26/ethiopia-semayawaiblue-party-members-are-being-arrested/|title=Ethiopia: Semayawai(Blue) Party members are being arrested|last=+ecadforum|date=26 April 2014}}</ref>

Two other members of the Semayawi Party, [[Meron Alemayehu]] (ሜሮን አለማየሁ ) and [[Nigist Wondifraw]] (ንግስት ወንዲፍራው), were also arrested.  They were #5 and #6 in the FreeThe20 campaign.  They are now free. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/09/246541.htm|title=We're sorry, that page can't be found.}}</ref>

Mesfin was released in December 2016,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/AmbPower44/status/812682788725985281|title=Encouraging news:#Ethiopia released Blue Party ldrs,incl Blen Mesfin.Cannot rest until pol prisoners everywhere are #FreeToBeHome.#FreeThe20pic.twitter.com/ysqxY9g1Rv|first=Samantha|last=Power|date=24 December 2016}}</ref> along with a mass release of 9,800 people detained under the state of emergency.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.africanews.com/2016/12/24/ethiopia-s-mass-release-of-detainees-excites-top-us-officials-call-for-more/|title=Ethiopia's mass release of 'detainees' excites top US officials, call for more|last=AfricaNews|date=24 December 2016|website=Africanews}}</ref> According to Ethiopian journalist [[Tesfalem Waldyes‏]] she was re-arrested during a wave of arrests in October 2016.‏<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/tesfalemw/status/785892653447557121|title=Here comes another wave of arrest in #Ethiopia. Blen Mesfin of Blue Party & part of @AmbassadorPower's #Freethe20 campaign re-arrested today|first=Tesfalem|last=Waldyes|date=11 October 2016}}</ref>  

== Other websites ==

Ethiopia: Semayawi Party (Blue Party), including origin, mandate, leadership. (UNHCR)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.refworld.org/docid/54c9f8064.html|title=Refworld - Ethiopia: Semayawi Party (Blue Party), including origin, mandate, leadership. Structure, legal status, and election participation; party membership; treatment of party members and supporters by authorities|first=United Nations High Commissioner for|last=Refugees}}</ref>

== References == 
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mesfin, Blen}}

[[Category:Ethiopian people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Political activists]]
[[Category:Political prisoners]]