Dr Tadesse
Simie Metekia
Researcher, legal scholar and policy analyst working at the intersection of transitional justice, international criminal law, customary justice, transnational organised crime, and peace and security in Africa. His work also encompasses capacity building and professional training.
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Scholarship, research and engagement
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About Tadesse
Dr Tadesse Simie Metekia is a legal scholar, senior researcher and technical adviser with more than 18 years of experience in transitional justice, international criminal law, customary justice, rule-of-law reform and institutional design.
He holds a PhD in International Criminal Law (cum laude) from the University of Groningen (2020), an LLM in International and Transnational Crimes from the University of Turin/UNICRI (2012), an LLM in Criminal Law and Criminology from Groningen (2010), and an LLB with distinction from Hawassa University (2007).
His professional experience spans research and policy work at the Institute for Security Studies, earlier work on transnational organised crime with ENACT (2021–2023), and teaching at Jimma University (2007–2020). He has also served as a guest lecturer at Addis Ababa University, Bahir Dar University, Wollega University and Ethiopian Civil Service University, teaching in areas including comparative criminal law, international humanitarian law and international criminal law. He has advised justice-sector institutions and contributed to legislative drafting and research on customary courts.
His international criminal justice consultancy includes work as a litigation consultant for the United States Department of Justice (2017–2025), supporting investigations and prosecutions involving fugitives alleged to have committed crimes during Ethiopia’s Red Terror. He has also provided consultancy support to the Ministry of Justice of the Netherlands (2017–2018) in connection with the prosecution of war crimes committed in Ethiopia during the Derg era.
He is Founder and Board Chair of the African Center for Transitions Studies, Founder and Chair of the Transitional Justice Consortium–Ethiopia, and Founder of the Ethiopian Criminal Law Network.
His work combines legal scholarship with applied research, policy development, legislative drafting, training and stakeholder engagement.
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