V. Special Complaints On 16 March 2004, the Special Rapporteur held a Press Conference at the Semien Hotel in Addis Ababa to inform the general public about the mission and to solicit information from anyone regarding prison conditions in Ethiopia. After the Press Conference, the Special Rapporteur was approached with the following complaints – • • • • (a) Mr. Solomon Gabre Kidan The Gambela detainees presumed disappeared The existence of secret prisons The Derg Officials The case of Mr. Solomon Gabre Kidan The case of Mr. Kidan was brought to the attention of the Special Rapporteur by his elder sister. Mr. Kidan, aged about 28 was an inmate in the Addis Ababa prison serving a five years sentence. He has TB in prison and for some unexplained reason did not take complete treatment during the initial stages of the disease. As a result, the TB has become resistant to drugs. Doctors examined him in prison and prescribed drugs that could not be found in the country. The five drugs prescribed cost more than 50,000 Birr, about US $ 6,250. The prison authorities at the Addis Ababa prison claim they do not have that amount of money to spend on an individual prisoner as the budget allocated per prisoner per day is only 3.5 Birr, that is 105 Birr per month or 1260 Birr per year. This money is allocated for food only and there is no separate allocation for medication since there is a clinic for medical services. Meantime, Mr. Kidan is still in detention, not receiving any treatment. Mr. Kidan has been isolated from all the other inmates because of his illness. The Special Rapporteur met with Mr. Kidan for about an hour and discussed his condition with him. The Special Rapporteur also met with Mr. Kidan’s family including his mother. Mr. Kidan’s case was raised with the prison authorities at all levels including the Vice Minister of Justice. The Special Rapporteur was assured that steps were underway to provide a comprehensive treatment package for Mr. Kidan and that he would not be released without being treated. (b) The Gambela Detainees The case of the Gambella detainees was brought to the attention of the Special Rapporteur by a local human rights NGO. It is alleged by the NGO that the detainees, arrested more than two years ago following ethnic conflicts in the Gambela Region, have disappeared, that there is no news from them and that they are not in contact with their families. The Special Rapporteur raised the matter with government authorities and it turned out that they were being held in the Addis Ababa prison. During the Special Rapporteur’s inspection of the Addis Ababa prison, she had a closed door meeting with 20 of the 38 Gambela detainees. 35 Report of the Mission of the Special Rapporteur on Prisons to Ethiopia 15 – 29 March 2004