Former Ethiopian judge returns from exile

Prominent Ethiopian opposition politician Birtukan Mideksa has returned home from exile in the US, reports Legalbrief. She was one of several opposition leaders imprisoned for life, accused of instigating protests following the controversial 2005 election. The former judge was released in 2010. About 200 demonstrators were shot dead by the Ethiopian police following the disputed election. Her return is the latest sign of how the political landscape has been radically reformed since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in April. A report on the Borkena site notes that the Ethiopian Government initiated her return to assist with the ongoing reforms. Mideksa, who was a fellow at Harvard University, has expressed interest in building democratic institutions in the country. As previously reported in Legalbrief Today, athlete Feyisa Lilesa who made headlines at the 2016 Summer Olympics by crossing both arms above his head in a political gesture last month returned to his homeland from exile in the US after sports officials assured him he would not face prosecution.