Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demessie, the anti-poverty workers charged with conspiring against the Ethiopian constitutional order, appeared again in the Federal Court in Addis Ababa on the morning of Wednesday 1 March.
They had been waiting for the court's decision on two issues: their request for a separate trial, and their request to be given details of the charges against them. Both requests were denied. The next hearing in the Federal Court will be on Wednesday 22 March. It will be a procedural hearing for a judgement on whether the identity of witnesses should be revealed to the defendants. The judge said that once the trial starts, the hearing of witnesses will continue daily. Meanwhile, on Monday 6 March the Supreme Court is expected to give its decision on the question of bail. Daniel Bekele is head of policy at ActionAid Ethiopia. Netsanet Demessie is director of the Organisation for Social Justice in Ethiopia, a partner of ActionAid Ethiopia. Both have been active in the Global Call to Action Against Poverty.