ADDIS ABABA, April 5 (Reuters) - An Ethiopian Court has sentenced to death five top military officers of former Marxist ruler Mengistu Haile Mariam, for air raids that killed hundreds in an open market in 1980.

The state-run Ethiopian News Agency on Saturday said the five officers were sentenced for the raid at Hawzen, along with five others given life sentences and four given terms of 19 years. All were tried and sentenced in absentia.

Ethiopian Air Force officers were accused of bombing Hawzen in the northern Tigray region, killing hundreds of civilians on a market day on June 23, 1980, prosecutors said.

Ethiopia has been trying former official of Mengistu's regime for the past 14 years for horrific killings carried out under his rule.

Most are in exile after rebels including the current prime minister, Meles Zenawi, overthrew him in 1991. Mengistu fled to Zimbabwe, where he lives in luxury under the protection of President Robert Mugabe.

The same court in January 2007 sentenced Mengistu to life in prison for killings thousands of people during his 17-year rule which included famine, war and purges including the "Red Terror" slaughter of suspected opponents.

Prosecutors have said his sentence was not commensurate with his crime and appealed for a death sentence in May. The court is expected to hear the appeal this year, but Mengistu is not likely to face justice. (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://africa.reuters.com/ ) (Reporting by Tsegaye Tadesse; Editing by Bryson Hull and Matthew Jones)

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7.
Guest, Unregistered

Who is the judge? Anyway. It is true, Beseferut quna mesefer ayqerim. I can't judge because I don't know what happened in Hawzen except it was bombed by the Air Force. But nothing in life is as simple as that. It took time for me to learn that.
By the way, who were the officers?

Posted 2008-04-13 13:01:49

6.
Guest, Unregistered

You guys get a life you dont like Meles for only one reason he is not
Amhara but guess what your days is over.

Posted 2008-04-10 16:28:22

5.
Guest, Unregistered

I agree with you sintayehu, Very soon woyanes will be judged in the hands of ethiopian people.Man ferage man tekesash honena yehawzen hizib endehone hulun leyto yawkal, berasachew hizib lay yehollywood camera aygermim,hulum kinibir lemehonu manim aysitewm

Posted 2008-04-09 20:27:46

4.
Tezebet, Registered

One day we will build a monument in your name on the top of Melese and his colonies… we Ethiopian will never forget what you guys stand for. You fought Melese and his sellouts bravely. You crime in the eye of Ethiopian is not a crime; you did what you have to do in the war time. Meles and Isyase stand together to destroy Ethiopia while you guys fighting to defend your country. You are our heroes…

Posted 2008-04-09 06:42:20

3.
Sintayehu A., Unregistered

Those who judge will be judged!!!!!
Th funny thing is those who are judging are not different from the ones who are judged.Time will tell.

Posted 2008-04-07 13:02:27

2.
Guest, Unregistered

what the hell is this!??? i agree witj u my friend how can some one trys to be innocent like he never did it.
u better watch out coz ur turn is coming, the time is coming where every body, every single ethiopian turns against u even your children be careful on every move that u make!!!!!

Posted 2008-04-07 04:18:38

1.
Guest, Unregistered

i dont call this justice but revenge. how can someone sentence others, who is doing the same thing what derg has done, which is killing innocent ppl? Meles, ur days are numbered, we will see u in court soon.

Posted 2008-04-07 01:41:12