Meseret Media – An investigative report into the horrific killing of Esayas Belay in a detention facility one year ago today this month
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Disclaimer: This is an English translation of an Amharic article taken from Meseret Media and is intended solely for information purposes.
Meseret Media – An investigative report into the horrific killing of Esayas Belay in a detention facility one year ago today this month
May 17, 2025
(Meseret Media)- Who is Esayas Belay?
For six years he worked at the Information Network Security Agency (INSA) as a cyber security professional.
In 2014 E.C. military radio communications passcodes used by the Amhara Region Police Commission and regional peace and security were found to be easily vulnerable. It became necessary to rearrange this radio network.
However military radio networks are not easily setup. This work involves field experts at international institutions paying millions of dollars.
Radio network communications which have cost the country a significant expense and if its security passcodes are easily compromised national secrets can be exposed leading to a national security risk. This concern was seen in 2014 E.C. by the Amhara Region police commission and peace and security in their radio communications.
How could the problem be resolved? As INSA worked to address this Esayas Belay utilizing his international experience proposed to modernize the region’s radio communications from within the organization. INSA organized a seven person group of professionals with Esayas serving as the group’s leader and sent the group to Amhara Region.
He led the group to modernize radio network communications throughout Amhara Region starting from the woreda level to the main bureau level which was completed over the course of two months before handing it over to the regional government. Though Esayas is no longer alive today the regional police commission and peace and security bureau currently use radio communication network setup by this young man.
Why was Esayas Belay killed?
One day over two months after he restored the radio communications network in Amhara Region at 10 am in the morning, internal INSA security personnel confiscated Esayas’ identification as he stood at the entrance of his bureau. Within INSA when internal security personnel confiscate a worker’s identification they are prohibited from entering the bureau.
Esayas was unable to go to his office to ask why his identification had been revoked. After his termination from his job he took to looking for new employment.
Months later he was hired at Amhara Bank where he worked using his expertise for two years when on the night of May 1, 2024 (Miyazia 23, 2016 E.C.) at around 8:30 pm Federal Police seized him and took him away saying he was wanted, without a court order.
The following day his spouse and close family members spent the day searching across Addis Ababa city and at night they found him at the Federal Police criminal investigations bureau in the Mexico area of Addis Ababa. He did not know what he was suspected of to be arrested.
Two days later he began his journey along with 14 other suspects to Semera in Afar Region. They were made to enter a private residence near the entrance of Semera town and at 10 pm that day the detainees were interrogated by investigators one after another.
One young person who was with Esayas but who asked that their name not be used said, “Esayas’ turn came.”
The young person said, “four interrogators would take turns standing and telling him to speak, they beat him punching and kicking him which tired him, and on top of that it was extremely hot. I was unable to stand and slipped and fell. They grabbed me by my arms and legs and threw me against the door. I saw them bringing Esayas. They brought him in grabbing his back with his face down just as the terrorists did to those youths before executing them in Libiya. They had his hands tied behind him with handcuffs. I could hear them telling him to turn his face to the wall” he says recalling interactions he could remember.
“What is your name?”
“Esayas Belay”
“Where were you born?”
“Gonder”
“Do you know why you algae been arrested?”
“I do not know”
“How could you dare not know?”
The others would beat him while one would ask: “how could you not know?”
“I don’t know! They brought me in from my home”
“What were you talking about with the Fano?”
“I haven’t spoken with anyone?”
“What were you telling them to do so their phones wouldn’t get tapped?”
Even now I could hear sounds of kicking and slaps.
One of them said “wait he will speak.”
“If you want to live speak up or else we will burn you alive here.”
I could not hear his voice.
“You have children right?”
“Speak up then!”
They shouted at him to speak up but his voice still could not be heard.
One of them struck Esayas with something though I am uncertain what it was, but I heard him say, “aaaaaaa..” before falling down. After he fell they kicked him together until one of them said “now he will talk, leave him.”
As Esayas lay on the floor he was moaning.
“If you don’t tell us what you told the Fano to do so their phones wouldn’t be tapped we will feed your body to hyenas, you will never see your children again”
It appeared to me that two of the interrogators could not withstand the heat in the room. As they left they forgot I was there and I heard one say, “this was the one the commander said to interrogate very well.”
“What was his name?” asked one,
“Esayas” said the other to him
The first interrogator opened the prisoners’ quarters and came with two prisoners and said, “bring him inside” and they dragged me into my cell.
Esayas Belay spent the night in the interrogation room and by the morning he came leaning against the other prisoners as his body had become limp like a rag. The heat was like fire. They would give us half a liter of water and one piece of bread a day. We all grew tired.
Towards the last day they brought Esayas and I to a far away place by vehicle. It was a complete desert. They took us out from the vehicle with our hands and legs tied behind with handcuffs “you will be eaten by hyenas in this desert. No one will save you. It would be better if you told us the truth” said one interrogator.
I told him I had not been in contact with anyone. Since Esayas had become worn out, what he was saying could not be heard. They placed me back onto the vehicle. We left Esayas behind.
After a certain distance of travel they took me out and dropped me too. Both of my legs and hands were tied with handcuffs so I could not move at all.
It was difficult to turn around otherwise I received more air than in the interrogation area. I also felt a sense of freedom. But when I realized I was unable to defend myself from an animal attack I became afraid.
At approximately 5 am the sound of a vehicle woke me up. One interrogator wearing a mask up to his nose looked out the window of the front seat and looked at me and said, “the hyenas haven’t eaten you yet?” while the driver next to him laughed.
Two angry police picked me up and dropped me into the military vehicle they had used at night. After we traveled for some time we found Esayas.
“This man is still here. What’s wrong with the hyenas in this place?” I heard him say.
They picked us up and returned us to the interrogation camp.
At around 4 pm the interrogators called Esayas. Since the prisoner had been weakened he could not walk supported by someone else like before. The police themselves woke us up, picked us up and took us. They brought Esayas into the interrogation room just like this.
He was brought into the interrogation room at 4 am and they brought him out at 6 am. When he was brought out from the interrogation room we had come out to urinate at which time we saw one another. He was covered in blood in his stomach region. It seemed to me they had poured water on top of him. His clothing was filthy. He was covered in blood down to his pants. Blood and water were pouring down his body. The police had dropped him by the door where he was lying down motionless. When I saw him closely his stomach was torn open, and his insides were visible.
I passed by closely on his side. I was unable to walk. I said, “Esayas.” He did not respond to me.
They beat us using metal rods. When the metal end was cut it produced a sharp blade which cut us in various places causing bleeding. Our bodies had become pale since we lost so much blood. It was this metal which caught Esayas. They would knowingly strike us with the sharp end of the metal rod.
Afterwards the interrogators left the interrogation room asking us to contribute money so they could take him for medical care. We gathered all the cash we had with us from the time of our arrests in our homes. They took it and left. The next day they took us and returned to Addis Ababa” they said describing the abuses they experienced to Meseret Media.
When the interrogators handed Esayas’ body to his family members they said “do not tell anyone he was arrested” as they handed over the body one year ago today, Ginbot 7 (May 15).
Esayas Belay was both a husband and a father of two children.
