We, the undersigned, are horrified and heartbroken by the story of Birtukan, a young Amhara woman whose future was mercilessly torn away by the brutalities of armed gangs empowered and protected by the Oromia political class and Ethiopian government. Her story is not an isolated incident but part of a systematic campaign of terror inflicted upon the Amhara people. We demand justice for Birtukan and all innocent Amhara women who have suffered unimaginable cruelty.

Background
Birtukan, a promising second-year college student at Dembi Dollo University in the Oromia region, aspired to become a pharmacist. Her dreams were crushed when she was abducted by armed gangsters and thrown into a nightmare of torment. Alongside five other young women, she was forced into the wilderness, where her humanity was brutally stripped away.

They called it “training”—a grotesque disguise for the horrific abuse they were about to inflict. Birtukan and the other girls endured continuous gang rapes and brutal torture for months. Their captors drove knives into Birtukan’s flesh whenever her body succumbed to the pain and exhaustion of the repeated violence. They mutilated her private parts with knives and sharp iron, leaving her body a bloodied and broken testament to their monstrous cruelty.

Birtukan is now a mother to a three-month-old boy, born from the horrifying violence she endured. She carries both physical and emotional scars that may never fully heal. The world around her has remained indifferent, the voices that should speak up have stayed silent, and the government that should protect her has turned a blind eye to her suffering.

Why is this important?
Birtukan’s story is not unique. It is part of a broader pattern of targeted violence against the Amhara community. The Ethiopian government and the Oromia political class must be held accountable for empowering armed gangs to commit such atrocities. The silence of the international community only emboldens the perpetrators. It is time for justice. It is time for action.

We Demand:

1. An independent international investigation into the atrocities committed against Birtukan and countless other Amhara women.
2. The Ethiopian government and Oromia Regional State authorities must be held accountable for organizing, empowering, and shielding the perpetrators.
3. The immediate arrest and prosecution of all those responsible for the abduction, torture, rape, and mutilation of Birtukan and other Amhara women.
4. Full protection and rehabilitation support for Birtukan and other survivors of such horrific violence.
5. Public acknowledgment from the Ethiopian government of the systematic violence inflicted upon Amhara women and a commitment to ensuring justice.
6. A complete and transparent report on the whereabouts and conditions of other Amhara girls who have suffered similar brutality

Please, sign this petition and stand with Birtukan. Stand with all the innocent Amhara women who have been silenced for too long.

We demand justice. We demand accountability. We demand an end to this brutality.