Ethiopian activist at risk of torture: Andargachew Tsige
Andargachew Tsige, an Ethiopian political activist in exile, appears to have been arrested in transit in Yemen on 24 June and forcibly returned to Ethiopia. He is at risk of torture and other ill-treatment.
UA: 171/14 Index: AFR 25/003/2014 Ethiopia Date: 4 July 2014
URGENT ACTION
ETHIOPIAN ACTIVIST AT RISK OF TORTURE
Andargachew Tsige, an Ethiopian political activist in exile, appears to have been arrested
in transit in Yemen on 24 June and forcibly returned to Ethiopia. He is at risk of torture
and other ill-treatment.
Andargachew Tsige is a British national of Ethiopian origin and Secretary-General of Ginbot 7, an outlawed
Ethiopian opposition group. He disappeared on 24 June at Sana’a airport in Yemen, while in transit between the
United Arab Emirates and Eritrea. Although no official statements have been released by the Yemeni or Ethiopian
authorities about his current whereabouts, human rights activists in Yemen told Amnesty International that he was
forcibly returned to Ethiopia the same day he landed after being detained at the Sana’a airport.
He is at high risk of torture and other ill-treatment in Ethiopia, where political detainees are frequently tortured in
order to extract information and confessions. His incommunicado detention in an unknown location increases this
risk.
Ginbot 7 is one of five organisations proscribed as terrorist organisations by the Ethiopian parliament in 2011. In
2012, Andargachew Tsige was prosecuted in absentia on terrorism charges (alongside journalist and prisoner of
conscience Eskinder Nega, and others) and sentenced to life imprisonment. Previously, in 2009, he was convicted
in absentia on charges related to an aborted coup attempt and was sentenced to death. He was also tried in
absentia in the 2005-2007 trial of political opposition members, journalists, activists and others.
In recent years, many Ethiopians wanted by the authorities on the grounds of their political activities have been
kidnapped in neighbouring countries and forcibly returned to Ethiopia. This has often involved the collaboration of
security forces in those countries. Another of the defendants in the 2012 trial had been kidnapped and forcibly
returned from Sudan. All those returned are at risk of arbitrary detention, torture and unfair trial.
Please write immediately in Amharic, English or your own language:
Calling on the authorities to guarantee Andargachew Tsige is not subjected to torture or other forms of ill-
treatment;
Calling on the authorities to immediately provide information on the location where he is being held, and to
ensure that he has full and immediate access to legal and consular representation and family members;
Calling on the authorities to ensure that Andargachew Tsige is not required to serve any sentence for a
conviction in absentia and must be retried on any charges against him in a trial that meets international standards,
before a new court and without the possibility of the death penalty.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 8 AUGUST 2014 TO:
Minister of Justice
Getachew Ambaye
Ministry of Justice,
PO Box 1370,
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Fax: +251 11 5517755
Salutation: Dear Minister
Minister of Federal Affairs
D. Shiferaw Teklemariam
Ministry of Federal Affairs
P.O.Box 5718
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Email: shiferawtmm@yahoo.com
Salutation: Dear Minister
And copies to:
Prime Minister
His Excellency Hailemariam Desalegn
Office of the Prime Minister,
PO Box 1031,
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Fax: +251 11 552030 (keep trying)
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below:
Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation
Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.
URGENT ACTION
ETHIOPIAN ACTIVIST AT RISK OF TORTURE
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Andargachew Tsige is a former member of the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) party and
was Deputy Mayor of Addis Ababa from 1991 to 1994, when he resigned on account of differences with the government.
Based in the UK, he travelled to Ethiopia shortly before the 2005 elections to support the opposition party Coalition for Unity and
Democracy (CUD). On 8 June 2005, in the wake of the controversial election results, he was detained in Ethiopia and held at
Ziway army camp. He was released on bail in July of that year. Like many detainees, Andargachew was accused of organizing
the demonstrations, seeking to subvert the Constitution and other offences, which he denied, but he was not formally charged
with any offence. After he was released he returned to the UK, but was subsequently named, tried and convicted in absentia in
a major political trial of the leadership of the CUD, journalists, human rights activists and others, on charges including high
treason, in 2005-2007. At the time he was the CUD representative in the UK.
After the CUD trial, fellow defendant Berhanu Nega founded the ‘Ginbot 7 Movement for Justice, Freedom and Democracy’ from
exile in the US, of which Andargachew Tsige became Secretary General. Berhanu Nega was also tried in absentia in the 2009
and 2012 trials.
Name: Andargachew Tsige
Gender m/f: M
UA: 171/14 Index: AFR 25/003/2014 Issue Date: 4 July 2014