Press Release

July 20, 2007

The Ethiopian Somali Advocacy Council demands that justice prevail

The Ethiopian Somali advocacy council would like to inform you that Mr. Mohamed Abdi, Ethiopian origin, but naturalized American citizen from Atlanta, Georgia, who is the husband of lovely wife Ifraah Nour and four children is languishing in one of the notorious jails in Ethiopia in the last three months.

Mohamed went to Ethiopia to fulfill the duty of interpreter for US army in the remote area of Somali Region. Ethiopian government has detained Mohamed and two US Army soldiers; however, the regime of Meles Zenawi had released the two US Army soldiers while keeping Mohamed in detention without due process.

This incident that landed Mohamed in jail had happened after Jeffrey Gettleman from ((NYT) Foreign Desk Editor and his colleague were arrested and released by Ethiopian government in Somali region state of Ethiopia or (kilill5). The journalist went to Somali Region to document the alleged atrocity that Meles regime is inflicting on the people of that region.

Mr. Mohamed Abdi, well respected and loved by his community in Atlanta, Georgia, was a hard worker who took his time to fulfill the duty of citizenship to his host country, US, but he did not know that he would be singled out from the rest of his colleagues and incarcerated in a harsh environment.

Mr. Mohammed Abdi is being held against his will by the Ethiopian government for nearly 3 months in Harar city of Ethiopia and the regime has not brought him to court to go through a fair trial. Ethiopian regime that is considered one of the emerging democratic countries in Africa and allied of Western countries to fighting terrorist has been violating left and right the individual rights of the people of that region; Mohamed is a case in point.

Therefore, we request that Mohamed is given the chance to go through the necessary procedure for his immediate release. It is time for justice to prevail!   We believe in a free society and the rule of law.

Thank you

Abdul S. Ibrahim (President)

The Ethiopian Somali Advocacy Council (ESAC) is a non-partisan organization that promotes democracy, good governance and human rights in the Horn of Africa region.

Ethiopian Somali Advocacy Council

1340 W Street, NW, Washington, Dc 20009

Telephone 202-204-2758, Fax number 202-588-0559

Washington , DC

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