Abdul from Ethiopia

Client: Abdul
Country: Ethiopia

Abdul came from a prosperous Ethiopian family that owned several successful businesses. By all rights, this large and close-knit family should be leading a happy life today in Addis Ababa. Instead, the family is in shambles. One of Abdul’s brothers was killed by the Ethiopian government. Another brother and his son fled to a neighboring country, but were handed over to Ethiopian authorities five years ago and have not been heard from since. Abdul’s mother lost an eye to a blow from a rifle butt by a gun-toting soldier. A sister fled the country in fear for her life. The government shut down the family businesses, and the few family members remaining in Ethiopia are destitute.

The reason for this series of tragedies is simple: Abdul’s family is Oromo. Even though Oromos are the majority ethnic group in Ethiopia, they have historically been targeted for persecution by the government, which is made up of members of the minority Tigreans.

Abdul’s persecution began when he was a teenager. Arrested along with his eldest brother, Abdul was brutally beaten and interrogated. A couple of years later, he was again arrested and falsely imprisoned for more than a month. During this time he was subjected to unspeakable torture, and his body bears the scars of this treatment to this day. After his release, Abdul returned home but was forced to flee a short time later when the government came looking for him and his brothers on the same trumped-up charges.

Abdul ran for his life for more than two years before arriving in the United States. He lived in hiding in Ethiopia for much of that time, unable to leave the homes where he was hidden. With the government on his trail, he finally had to flee to neighboring Djibouti. But when that government began rounding up Oromo refugees and returning them to Ethiopia, he was forced to flee to Somalia and then to Kenya. Finally, the danger for Oromos in Kenya became so great that Abdul’s family spent most of their remaining resources so he could travel to the United States.

When he arrived, a truck driver dropped him at Park Lane and Greenville in Dallas.  He spoke no English and had almost no money, but he managed to find an Ethiopian who introduced him to a family that took him in. He eventually found his way to Human Rights Initiative for representation in his claim for asylum. Like his tortuous path to the US, his journey through the legal system was fraught with unusual complications and bad luck. It took more than a year to get his case to trial, more than double the usual time. When Abdul finally had his day in court, the judge had no difficulty concluding that Abdul was entitled to asylum in the US.

Representing Abdul was a privilege for which I will always be grateful. Despite all the hardships he faced, Abdul remained unfailingly patient, courteous, and a pleasure to work with.  In the twelve months that passed before Abdul’s hearing, he taught himself English at a neighborhood library with the assistance of an elderly woman who befriended him. By the time his case finally came to trial, this young man, who had arrived in this country with no familiarity with our language, was able to tell his terrible story in English. Abdul taught me lessons in courage, perseverance, and grace that I hope I never forget. 

HRI is grateful to Bruce Budner, a longtime volunteer and former HRI Legal Director, for contributing this account of Abdul’s experience.