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ADDIS ABABA, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Nineteen Ethiopians have been charged with the burning on September 3, 2016 of Kilinto prison located in the outskirts of Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
The defendants, all of whom were prisoners at Kilinto were charged on Friday before the Ethiopian Federal Criminal Court in Addis Ababa with causing the fire that burnt the prison and caused 700,000 dollars of material damage.
The Ethiopian government said the prison fire also killed 23 people although opposition groups claimed that the toll was higher.
The court adjourned the case to August 11, 2017 to hear the defendants' reply with a separate appeal for bail by defendants to be heard by the court on August 2, 2017.
