Netsanet Demissie, 29, co-founded the Organization for Social Justice in Ethiopia to foster democracy through education, policy-making and advocacy work, acting as its Chief Executive.
 
Prior to founding OSJE, he served as Co-director and Editor of the Ethiopian Legal Directory's annual publication. He was an assistant judge in the civil bench for two years. He co-wrote a national civic and ethical education text for students at tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade in Ethiopia.
 
Netsanet graduated in law from Addis Ababa University and did further studies in Peace and Conflict Transformation at the European University in Austria.
 
While with OSJE, Netsanet worked on the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) in Ethiopia. He hosted the Secretariat and played a leading role in the  NGO network monitoring the contested parliamentary elections of 15 May 2005.
 
Netsanet Demissie was arrested on November 8 2005 and is charged with outrage against the Constitution and the constitutional order. He was denied bail and has been in jail ever since.