By this Wednesday more than 240 000 people had signed an online petition protesting at the 25-year prison sentence meted out to the man convicted of killing Heaven Awot in an attack last year.

In a statement, the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA) says the sentencing was "very light", adding "The murder by itself should have been enough to sentence him to life imprisonment or death.  

Executive Director of EWLA, Lensa Biyena says more than 4 700 cases of gender-based violence were reported to the association last year and data reveals the significant challenges women face in securing their safety and rights in Ethiopia.

According to Biyena, such actions can affect judicial independence and the supremacy of law.  

" Human rights abuses including rape and other sexual assaults are continuing in northern Ethiopia despite the November 2022 peace deal that ended the Tigray conflict, ”said Biyena.

--Channel Africa--