Professor Mesfin Woldemariam (also spelled Mesfin Wolde Mariam; born 1930) is an Ethiopian peace activist who was active during the Meles Zenawi era. He is a founding member of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRC), and later founded the Rainbow Ethiopia: Movement for Democracy and Social Justice. 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi Legesse (Meles) Zenawi (born May 8, 1955) is Prime Minister of Ethiopia. ...

Born in Addis Ababa, Mesfin received his earliest education at Tefari Mekonen High School, and was a student of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, receiving ordination as a deacon in 1946. He completed his further education in London in 1951, and won a scholarship to study abroad. He received his B.A. from Punjab University, Chandigarh in 1955 and his M.S. from Clark University in the United States in 1957. Map of Ethiopia highlighting Addis Ababa (in red). ... Punjab University (officially spelt Panjab University) is one of the oldest reputed universities in northwest India. ... Clark University, on Main St. ...

Mesfin was professor of geography at Haile Sellassie University (now Addis Ababa University or AAU), and for a time the head of the geography department. He was also a senior Fullbright scholar in 1971, 1986 and 1987. However according to Africa Action, he was fired in 1991 from AAU. Addis Ababa University is a school of higher education in Ethiopia. ... The Fulbright Program is program of educational grants (Fulbright Fellowships) sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Responding to a student petition, on 8 April 2001 Professor Mesfin and Dr. Berhanu Nega held a day-long panel discussion at the hall of the National Lottery on academic freedom. They were arrested on the allegations that this panel incited a student protest at AAU the next day, but released on bail 5 June and neither were ever tried.[1] April 8 is the 98th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (99th in leap years). ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... June 5 is the 156th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (157th in leap years), with 209 days remaining. ...

In December 2005, the government of Ethiopa detained Mesfin on charges of treason, genocide, and outrage against the constitution, along with other leading members of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy. 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In law, treason is the crime of disloyalty to ones nation or state. ... Genocide is defined by the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG) article 2 as any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, as such: Killing members of the group; Causing... The Coalition for Unity and Democracy (commonly referred to as CUD, or occasionally as CDU) is a coalition of four existing political parties of Ethiopia which combined to compete for seats in the Ethiopian General Elections held on May 15, 2005. ...

External links

• Society of Ethiopians Established in Diasporia (SEED) entry on Mesfin Woldemariam
• AAAS Program on Science and Human Rights Alert on Mesfin Woldemariam's arrest
• Call for the Immediate Release of Prof. Mesfin Wolde Mariam and Dr. Berhanu Nega (2001)
• The Ethiopian Human Right's Council Website
• Advocacy Ethiopia: Dedicated to the unconditional release of all political prisoners in Ethiopia