Ethiopian Human Rights Council Organization

The Ethiopian Human Rights Council Organization (EHRCO) is a registered non-profit, independent, non-partisan, and local human rights organization, envisioning the respect of human rights, the establishment of a robust democratic system and the realization of the rule of the law in Ethiopia. It is the oldest independent human rights organisation in Ethiopia.

EHRCO is primarily responsible for monitoring, investigating, reporting, and documenting human rights violations. Through its detailed reports, EHRCO continues to push for justice and compensation for victims, legal accountability for perpetrators, the abolition of the culture of impunity, and the adoption of policy and enforcement changes. EHRCO emphasizes the necessity of learning from previous rights violations in order to create a more just and accountable future in Ethiopia.

EHRCO’s monitoring efforts include visiting legal detainees, internally displaced persons, and individuals in police custody to closely follow their human rights protection. It also monitors the fairness and legality of trial proceedings and investigates the content and implementation of various national laws and policies from the perspective of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Additionally, EHRCO provides free legal aid to human rights victims and monitors national, local, and complementary elections, as well as public referendums.