By Allula Ahmed:

Melese Zenawi’s draft Anti-Terrorism Proclamation (the draft Proclamation) and Adolf Hitler’s law that was enacted in 1933 ( Decree of the Reich President for the Protection of the People and State) are very similar.

Making legislations to invoke fear among citizens is a common and an old technique of desperate dictators who hope to remain in power through stifling the uprising of citizens against tyranny.

Dictators including Adolf Hitler and Mussolini made similar kind of laws during their dictatorial life cycles before being toppled down.

Melese Zenawi’s current draft of  Anti-Terrorism Proclamation (the draft Proclamation) and Adolf Hitler’s law which  was enacted in 1933 ( Decree of the Reich President for the Protection of the People and State)  are very similar.

Like Hitler, Zenawi claims the intention of his Anti-Terrorism Proclamation (the draft Proclamation) is to protect the nation and the people from acts of violence.

To show you the similarities between the provisions of Meleze Zenawi’s draft of Anti-Terrorism Proclamation  and Hitler’s “Decree of the Reich President for the Protection of the People and State” , it is   worth noting the following  sections that compare both laws:

Hitler’s law, Section 1: Under section one, Hitler’s law restricts personal liberty, the right of free expression of opinion, including freedom of the press, on the right of assembly and the right of association, and violations of the privacy of postal, telegraphic, and telephonic communications, and warrants for house-searches, orders for confiscations as well as restrictions on property .

Zenawi’s Anti-Terrorism Proclamation (the draft Proclamation): provides expansion of police power to search, arrest, and restrict movement of individuals and destroy property without judicial oversight, in many cases based solely on the belief that terrorist activity “will be” committed. Zenawis law also provides for “terrorist suspects” to be held for up to four months without charge.

Hitler’s law, Section 2 : states “if in a state the measures necessary for the restoration of public security and order are not taken, the Reich Government (including the Nazi police) may temporarily take over the powers of the highest state authority.

Zenawi’s Anti-Terrorism Proclamation (the draft Proclamation): it expands police powers to search, arrest, and restrict movement of individuals and destroy property without judicial oversight.

Hitler’s laws, Section 4  and 5 :  states whoever provokes an inciter to or act contrary to public welfare is to be punished with a penitentiary sentence, under mitigating circumstances, with imprisonment of not less than three months.

Zenawi’s Anti-Terrorism Proclamation (the draft Proclamation): criminalizes speech “encouraging,” “advancing,” or “in support” of terrorist acts even if the speech is not directly inciting acts of terrorism. The law even criminalizes providing “moral support” to someone who is alleged to have engaged in a terrorist act.