🚨 Unlawful Detention of Nurse Ekram Zeinu – A Violation of Rights and Justice
On May 14, 2025, Nurse Ekram Zeinu, a senior nurse at Eka Kotebe General Hospital in Addis Ababa, was arbitrarily detained for participating in a peaceful and lawful appeal demanding fair wages and improved working conditions for healthcare professionals.
Her detention is a direct violation of multiple legal and ethical frameworks, including:
Ethiopian Labor Proclamation No. 1156/2019 – guaranteeing workers’ rights to organize and demand fair treatment.
Article 30 of the Ethiopian Constitution – protecting the right to peaceful assembly.
International Labor Organization (ILO) Conventions 87 & 98 – safeguarding freedom of association and collective bargaining.
Nurse Zeinu is a dedicated and well-respected professional who has served her community for years with compassion and integrity. She joined her colleagues in peacefully advocating for fair compensation amidst increasing economic pressures and worsening staff shortages in the healthcare sector. Despite the peaceful nature of the demonstration, she was detained without formal charges or due process, raising serious concerns over abuse of authority and suppression of lawful advocacy.
✊ Our Demands
We urgently call on all relevant authorities and stakeholders to:
We urgently call on all relevant authorities and stakeholders to:
Immediately and unconditionally release Nurse Ekram Zeinu.
End all forms of intimidation and retaliation against healthcare professionals advocating for their rights.
Publicly reaffirm and enforce labor rights protecting peaceful protests and wage negotiations.
Investigate those responsible for the unlawful detention and ensure accountability for any procedural misconduct.
Healthcare workers are the backbone of our nation’s wellbeing. Silencing their voices is not only unjust—it’s dangerous.
🗣️ Stand with Nurse Ekram. Stand with all health professionals.