http://www.irishlegal.com/5113/reprieve-writes-to-boris-johnson-over-british-citizens-ethiopian-detention/
British citizen’s Ethiopian detention
Reprieve writes to Boris Johnson over British citizen’s Ethiopian detention
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson
Human rights group Reprieve has written to Foreign Secretary Boris
Johnson in support of a British citizen on death row in Ethiopia, who
they say continues to be refused access to a lawyer.
Andargachew Tsege, a prominent opposition political activist, was
abducted by Ethiopian security forces from an international airport in
2014 and has been detained under an in absentia death sentence since
then.
In June, then-Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond announced that he
“received a commitment from the Prime Minister that Mr Tsege will be
allowed access to independent legal advice”.
However, Reprieve, which is assisting Mr Tsege, says that he has not
received legal access and has even been denied even the writing
materials he would need to request a lawyer.
Reprieve wrote to Mr Johnson on 11 August to alert him to the latest
developments, but has yet to receive a reply.
Maya Foa, director of the death penalty team at Reprieve, said: “Andy
was illegally sentenced to death while living in London, illegally
kidnapped and rendered to Ethiopia where he has been held in unlawful
detention for over two years.
“Not only are the Ethiopian authorities refusing him a lawyer – they
won’t even provide pen and paper so he can request one.
“The British Government must now recognise that Ethiopia is not
serious about the rule of law, and demand that Andy is released
immediately from his unlawful detention and returned to his family in
London.”
Received on Tue Aug 23 2016 - 11:36:56 EDT