British man who spent four years on death row in Ethiopia 'overwhelmed' after his release
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A Brit who spent four years on death row in Ethiopia has said he is "overwhelmed" after his release.
Andargachew "Andy"Tsege, 63, was greeted by a huge crowd of relatives and supporters as he arrived to his family home in the capital, Addis Ababa on Tuesday.
Andy had been accused by the Ethiopian government of being a terrorist and was sentenced to death in absentia in 2009.
He was seized five years later in an airport in Yemen and has been in prison in Ethiopia ever since where he endured more than a year in isolation.
(Image: PA)
He was pardoned on May 19, along with 575 other prisoners, which included journalists and opposition politicians.
Mr Tsege, who is a father of three, had been an outspoken critic of the leading party in Ethiopia and fled the country in the 1970s before seeking asylum in the UK in 1979.
His wife, Yemi Hailemariam told The Times that her husband was "sounding older, a bit slower," when she spoke to him on the phone from her home in Islington, north London.
She added: “I was crying a lot on the call, but Andy told me to stop. He said, ‘Everyone is crying, please don’t cry.’ I still cannot believe it, I feel dazed.”
(Image: PA)
A video of Mr Tsege arriving at his parents' home in the Ethiopian capital was sent to Ms Hailemariam and she said he "looked very thin...very overwhelmed".
Mr Tsge told his supporters: "I did not expect this turnout. Four years in prison is not that much of a sacrifice. I'm meeting you first because I respect you; I haven't yet met my father. Now, I'd like to go and greet my father."
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said he was "pleased" at the news.
He added: "Recent moves by the Ethiopian government send a positive signal that they remain serious about following through with promised reforms to increase political space.
"Our dedicated staff continue to work hard behind the scenes on all consular cases around the world."
Ms Hailemariam had been critical of the government's response to her husband's case and accused Theresa May of doing "nothing at all" to help.