U.S., five other countries urge Ethiopia to cease illegal detentions

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Six countries including the United States expressed concern on Monday over reports of widespread arrests by Ethiopia of Tigrayan citizens based on ethnicity in connection with the country's year-old conflict, urging the government to stop acts they said likely violate international law.

The United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, Denmark and the Netherlands cited reports by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and the rights group Amnesty International on widespread arrests of ethnic Tigrayans, including Orthodox priests, older people and mothers with children.