A leading international human rights organization has placed Ethiopia among the most at-risk nations for torture and cruel treatment, pointing to deeply entrenched patterns of abuse, a lack of accountability, and laws that fall short of global standards.
The World Organization Against Torture released its Global Torture Index 2025 on May 15, assigning Ethiopia a “very high risk” classification. The report describes torture in the country as widespread and built into the system, particularly in conflict-affected areas such as Tigray, Oromia, Afar, and the Amhara region.
Victims and Methods of Abuse
The index identifies a broad range of individuals said to be at risk, including political opponents, members of the press, human rights advocates, legal professionals, religious figures, and ethnic minority communities. Documented methods of mistreatment include severe physical beatings, confinement in overcrowded or cramped spaces, forced stress positions, extended periods of solitary confinement, deprivation of sleep and food, and holding detainees without any outside contact.
These findings are consistent with the United States Department of State’s 2024 Human Rights Report on Ethiopia, which independently documented abuses carried out by both state and non-state actors, including what it described as widespread civilian killings across multiple conflict zones.
Reversal of Earlier Reforms
The index acknowledges that Ethiopia made notable progress following reforms introduced after 2018, including shutting down infamous detention sites and introducing judicial changes. However, the report concludes that much of this progress has been undone since 2021, describing a period marked by a breakdown in rule of law and broad suppression of civil liberties, often enforced under repeated declarations of states of emergency.
A military camp in the Afar region known as Awash Arba was specifically named as a key site for mass detention and mistreatment, particularly during periods of public protest and heightened emergency powers.
Overcrowded Prisons and Blocked Oversight
According to the index, prisons and detention centers are operating at more than 120 percent of their intended capacity. This overcrowding has led to poor sanitation, inadequate ventilation, insufficient lighting, and limited access to food, clothing, and healthcare.
The report further notes that even the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, a state-affiliated oversight body, has been denied entry to detention facilities, raising serious concerns about transparency and independent monitoring.
Impunity and Legal Gaps
A major focus of the index is the near-total absence of accountability for senior officials. Despite a 2021 joint investigation by the United Nations human rights office and Ethiopia’s own rights commission concluding there were reasonable grounds to believe all parties had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, no high-ranking military or government personnel have faced prosecution.
The index also criticizes Ethiopia’s legal framework, arguing that the country’s criminal code provides an insufficient definition of torture and prescribes penalties too weak to serve as a meaningful deterrent.
Press Freedom and Civil Society Under Pressure
The situation for journalists and activists has also deteriorated sharply. The report states that more than 200 journalists have been forced to leave the country since 2020. In 2023 alone, more than 50 human rights defenders were detained, with some charged under anti-terrorism legislation.
Calls for Reform
The index calls on Ethiopian authorities to bring national laws on torture in line with international standards, shut down unofficial detention facilities and military holding sites, release detained civil society actors, and strengthen legal protections for survivors and witnesses.
The report also points out that Ethiopia has not yet ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture, and has delayed its reporting obligations to the United Nations Committee Against Torture by nearly 12 years.
Source: Global Torture Index 2025, World Organization Against Torture (OMCT), released May 15, 2026. Additional reference: U.S. Department of State 2024 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices — Ethiopia. Original reporting by Addis Standard.
