Exclusive: Andy Tsege’s family say former PM's close ties to Ethiopian government mean he is ‘uniquely placed’ to succeed where the current UK government has failed
Tony Blair has said he is winding down his business interests and diverting the funds to charity, but that he could be ‘open’ to a return to politics Getty
Tony Blair has been urged to use his close ties to the Ethiopian government to secure the release of a British father languishing on the African country’s death row.
The family of Andargachew Tsege has written to the former Prime Minister asking him to help save the father of three, who was sentenced to death in absentia for being part of the political opposition, then kidnapped and illegally rendered to Ethiopia two years ago.
Fears for Mr Tsege’s fate have been heightened by the Ethiopian government’s declaration of a state of emergency, and rights groups say more than 500 political protesters have been killed in clashes with police since unrest flared up in November last year.
While British officials have privately expressed concern at Mr Tsege’s “completely unacceptable” treatment at the hands of the Ethiopian government, the UK refuses to call for his release in public. The Foreign Office did claim to have secured Mr Tsege access to a lawyer, but the Ethiopian authorities are yet to fulfil that promise.
Mr Blair was briefed on the case when he visited Addis Abiba in May this year, and a spokesperson for Mr Blair told The Independent the matter was “raised” during the trip.
But since then, there has been no improvement in Mr Tsege’s situation. Reprieve, a rights group which is working with Mr Tsege’s family, told The Independent Mr Blair should use his “advisory role with the Ethiopian government” to call for the father’s release “without delay”.
Ethiopia is one of a number of countries on the continent with an embedded team of advisors from Mr Blair’s Africa Governance Initiative, for which Save The Children awarded him its “Global Legacy” prize in 2014.
In a recent interview with Esquire magazine, Mr Blair hinted at a possible return to British politics and said he was winding down his consultancy businesses.
In a letter, seen by The Independent, Mr Tsege’s partner Yemi Hailemariam said the former Prime Minister was “uniquely placed to send a strong message to Ethiopia that democracy and human rights are the cornerstone of strong government”.
“l’m sure that, as a father, you can imagine what kind of impact Andy’s kidnap has had on our three children, who live with me in lslington,” she wrote. “Our lives have turned upside down. We are trying desperately to keep some normality, but failing miserably.”
“I recall the close links that you forged with Ethiopia’s government during your premiership, and I believe that your voice is taken extremely seriously by the Ethiopian government. You therefore have an opportunity to help to end this nightmare for our family, and bring Andy home to us.”
Mr Tsege moved to the UK and was granted political asylum in 1979, and has lived in Britain ever since.
He continued to organise political opposition to the authoritative regime from afar, and in 2009 was convicted of terrorism offences in absentia, and sentenced to death.
Source: Independent
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