Live Blog:Birtukan To Be Released

6:44 PM: The media in Addis are completely silent about this news. Here is more report: a writ of release has been issued to prison authorities by the Ministry of Justice. Most of Birtukan’s personal belongings(clothes, books etc) were sent to her home.

6:19 PM: We are hearing that the terms of the release do not include an apology from Birtukan(unconfirmed).

5:57 PM: According to our sources, Meles himself started the process of negotiation by calling the elders to his office and giving them a green light to start talking to Birtukan at the beginning of this month. This was the third attempt. In the first two, the process broke down because Birtukan refused to apologize.

5:47 PM: Confirmed at 5:26…Birtukan will be released. It is no more a rumor. She will be out. We are trying to get the terms of her release.

5:43 PM: Birtukan’s family were told that she would be released.

5:35 PM: A car went to pick Birtukan from prison, but the guards told the driver to come back tomorrow.

5:34 PM: More confirmed report: The negotiations between the government and Birtukan were successful. The terms are not yet known.

5:26 PM: High-level government source today confirmed to Addis Neger Online that jailed opposition leader Birtukan Mideksa will be released later today.

5:20 PM: Reports that the jailed opposition leader Birtukan Mideksa are to be released today are spreading like wildfire in Addis. We will follow the story here at Addis Neger.