Mekelle Prosecutors Appeal Acquittal in Zewdi Haftu Murder Case

August 15, 2026
By Mintesinot Nigussie

Mekelle City Prosecutor’s Office has appealed a court decision acquitting two men convicted in connection with the killing of Zewdi Haftu, reviving a case that has drawn attention from women’s rights and civil society groups in Tigray.

The prosecution has challenged the acquittal before the Tigray High Court, arguing that the decision to release the two defendants was not justified, Tadesse Bayru, head of the Mekelle City Prosecutor’s Office, told Tikvah Ethiopia.

The case dates back to August 2023, when Haftu, 32, was killed in Mekelle while walking with a friend during the Ashenda festivities. Reports on the case said two men were subsequently prosecuted in connection with her death.

The two defendants, identified in earlier reports as Yared Gebresellase and Angesom, were sentenced to life imprisonment by the Mekelle Central Court in 2025. The court subsequently closed the case after issuing the sentences.

The defendants appealed to a cassation bench, which overturned the earlier ruling and ordered their release, according to Tadesse. He said the decision to acquit the two was reached by a two-to-one vote among the judges.

The prosecutor’s office has now asked the Tigray High Court to overturn that decision, arguing that the acquittal was not appropriate.

The case has attracted renewed attention from civil society and women’s rights organisations following the acquittal. Nine civic organisations previously called for an appeal of the decision, describing it as a setback in efforts to secure justice for Haftu.

The prosecutor’s office also rejected reports circulating on social media that evidence connected to the case had been lost, saying the claim was completely untrue.

Tadesse said the office did not currently know whether the two defendants were living in Mekelle.

The latest appeal leaves the case before the Tigray High Court, which will determine whether the acquittal remains in place or whether the prosecution’s challenge succeeds.

The prosecution’s account of the case remains contested through the appeals process, with the earlier conviction having already been overturned by the cassation bench.

Source: FSX Business News