Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Pennycook on 2016-03-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will take steps to permit the European External Action Service to press for the release of Andargachew Tsege in Ethiopia.

James Duddridge

Whilst we welcome the concern of all international partners on Mr Tsege’s case, the UK will continue to lead lobbying efforts.

The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) has raised Mr Tsege’s case with his Ethiopian counterpart Dr Tedros 21 times, most recently on 13 February. I have also raised this case, most recently on 28 January. I have met with Mt Tsege’s’ partner, Yumi Hailemariam. We have asked that Mr Tsege has access to a lawyer and a legal route through which he can challenge his detention. The Foreign Secretary has asked the Ethiopians to set out a timeline in which this will happen.