ADDIS ABABA, Dec 12: An Ethiopian court on Tuesday convicted former dictator Mengistu Haile Miriam of genocide for atrocities committed during his 1974-1991 Marxist regime after a 12-year trial.

Mr Mengistu and 11 co-defendants who served on the government's central committee were found guilty, of genocide, homicide, illegal imprisonment and illegal confiscation of property by Ethiopia's federal high court.

“Accused numbers one to 12 are found guilty of all charges,” Justice Medhin Kiros told a packed courtroom here, reading from a unanimous verdict by the three-judge panel hearing the case.

Mr Mengistu, who lives in exile in Zimbabwe and was tried in absentia, was known as ‘defendant number one’ in the case against himself and other senior members of his so-called Derg regime.

Sixty co-defendants were found guilty of genocide by a 2-1 ruling by the judges, who ruled unanimously for their convictions on the other counts.—AFP