9-Year Old American Sues UK To Save Father's Life

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It's not every day that a 9-year-old American girl takes the British government to court. But for Menabe Andargachew, it's a matter of life and death: her father's.

 

Andargachew "Andy" Tsege disappeared while catching a connecting flight through Yemen in June 2014. The political activist was snatched and forcibly taken to Ethiopia, where he had been sentenced to death for opposition work.

 

Tsege is British but so far his government hasn't demanded his release. Now Menabe and her family are trying to force their hand: They filed a legal challenge alleging that approach is "unlawful."

"My mom said he's been sentenced to death," Menabe says as her chin quivers. "I just don't know if we can get him back in time."

 

This week 61-year-old Tsege marked 700 days in detention -- without any access to a lawyer.

 

His Maryland-born partner, family and lawyers say he was kidnapped -- a victim of rendition carried out by Ethiopia, which has labeled him a terrorist and enemy of the state. Ethiopia says he was "extradited."

 

Tsege was never formally notified of charges against him, trials or given an opportunity to present a defense, according the legal filing. His supporters allege that Tsege -- a prominent member of the Ethiopian opposition -- is a victim of political persecution.

 

"I have serious questions about the Ethiopian government's use of the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation to limit free speech and political dissent, and Mr. Tsege's grave case is one of many that gives cause for concern," Sen. Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement to NBC News.

Both the U.N. Human Rights Council and the European Parliament have called for Tsege's release. The British government has expressed "deep concern" over his case. But thus far, it hasn't followed suit in demanding Tsege be freed -- instead focusing on getting him "due process."

Tsege's family and lawyers say that's a ludicrous approach. "The suggestion that he can go through a court process in Ethiopia to somehow assert his fights is absolutely farcical," attorney Rosa Curling told NBC News.

 

For starters? His transfer to Ethiopia was carried out without any formal arrest or extradition process, according to the new legal filing, which was obtained exclusively by NBC News.

Ethiopia says Tsege was "extradited" under an "existing" treaty with Yemen -- but the filing says no such agreement has ever been produced.

"You don't really ask due process of your kidnappers," Tsege's longtime partner Yemi Hailemariam scoffed. "That man should not be languishing in an Ethiopian prison ... All he wanted and he aspired for is a country similar to here and the U.S. in Ethiopia."

 

Hailemariam and her kids share U.S. and U.K. citizenship. They have written to the queen, the prime minister, American and British lawmakers for help getting Tsege home over the past 22 months.

 

She hopes the new legal challenge -- a request for a judicial review -- will force the Foreign Office to "genuinely change" their strategy toward the case and work harder to protect its citizen.

 

"Are we saying that a nation can just grab a third nation's citizen from any airport, from anywhere at will?" Yemi said. "The U.K.'s actions -- they're saying it's OK."

 

 

 

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