Ethiopian opponents denied bail

The entire leadership of the CUD is now in jail

A group of Ethiopian opposition leaders, aid workers and journalists - facing treason, conspiracy and genocide charges have been denied bail.

The High Court judge said the severity of the accusations against the group of 131 precluded their release.

The group, including all the leaders of the main opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) party, are refusing to recognise the court's legitimacy.

The charges relate to protests over the ruling party's disputed May poll win.

A senior CUD leader, Berhanu Nega, shouted out, to cheers from fellow defendants and a packed courtroom, that they were being accused of fabricated charges.

"We do not recognise the authority of the court to try us," he said.

Judge Adil Ahmed then walked out of the court .

Under Ethiopian law, the possible sentences the group face if they are found guilty ranges from three years' imprisonment to the death penalty.

The trial was postponed until February.

Protests

May's election was the most closely contested in Ethiopian history, and resulted in the opposition winning more than 100 seats in parliament.

But the opposition believed they were cheated of victory, and took to the streets.

Two separate rounds of clashes in June and November last year left many dead - and the prime minister accused the opposition of attempting to overthrow his government.

Thousands of Ethiopians were arrested after the November violence when more than 40 people died.

The opposition has called for Ethiopians across the world to begin a hunger strike on 6 January to put pressure on the government to release the detained opposition leaders.

Pamphlets calling for general strike from 9 January have also been distributed across the capital, Addis Ababa.

Western donors have said they are considering withholding millions of dollars of aid to Ethiopia over the crackdown on the opposition and the press.

The sum of $375m in direct funding for Ethiopian government programmes is reported to be under review.