Respect Human Rights at the US Embassy in Ethiopia

To: The United States of America State Department

We the undersigned, request that the State Department of the United States investigate and take action against human rights abuses at the US embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Here are a few examples of such abuses:
Interviews conducted by Consular Officers at the embassy are frequently humiliating and abusive. At times, there are threats of use of force and confiscations of passports.
Interviews are conducted in open space and in full hearing of other interviewees and typically include intimate and embarrassing details.
The issuance or denial of visa seems arbitrary, capricious and dependent on which Consul is on duty that day.

The US embassy in Addis Ababa and various US government officials including members of the Senate and Congress as well as the State Department have received complaints of such incidents. So far no resolution has been obtained.

We are aware of and support the need to enforce US immigration laws. We are also aware of the arduous tasks Consular Officers have to implement these laws in poor countries such as Ethiopia where various factors push some individuals to attempt illegal immigration to the United States. However, disregard for individual civil rights and abuse of power in the name of enforcing US immigration laws are despicable and must be stopped immediately.

We propose that:
All embassy employees should wear name tags
Interviews should be done in a private setting rather than in the open space that is now customary
Interviewers should refrain from using derogatory comments and show the interviewees the proper respect that they deserve, even if they feel that they may not have a valid case for requesting visa
Interviewers should refrain from asking intimate and embarrassing details as an excuse to catch those who fabricate stories to immigrate to the United States
Embassy employees should refrain from harassing and threatening individuals
The embassy should periodically evaluate the performance of its employees and their compliance with the foreign policy of the United States.

We hope that the State Department will take this petition seriously and take action in an expeditious manner to remedy civil rights abuses that take place at the US embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.