A student who says he was arrested for using Skype in Ethiopia has had his deportation to his homeland blocked – for now.
Yidnek Haile, 31, a post-graduate student at Manchester University, was due to be flown back to Ethiopia on Thursday, until a high court judge ruled that he needed more time to look at the case.
Supporters of Yidnek say he would face a lengthy jail term and police beatings if he was sent back, just for using Skype – an internet telephone service that is illegal in Ethiopia.
The ruling means that the Home Office, who planned to deport Yidnek at 7pm on Thursday, cannot do so until a final decision is reached by the court.
Yidnek, an IT trainer, was charged by police in Ethiopia – where using non-government telephone companies is banned – last year after showing people how to use Skype in the internet cafe in which he worked.
The former Ethiopian student leader fled to the UK and sought asylum last December, saying he had been repeatedly arrested and beaten by the Ethiopian authorities.
But the Home Office said there was no evidence to support his story.
Richard Heeks, a Manchester University professor who is supporting Yidnek’s appeal, welcomed the temporary reprieve.
He said: "It is only now that someone in this country has looked at Yidnek’s case, and seen that he is clearly being tried on trumped up charges. But the battle is far from over."
Prof Heeks said a final decision on Yidnek’s case is likely to be made shortly after Christmas.
More than 1,400 people have signed an online petition against Yidnek’s deportation.
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A perfect story for Christmas Eve. A small piece of mercy in an increasingly harsh world.
If he has so little disregard for the laws of his own country what are the chances of him obeying the laws here in Britain? And if there's no evidence to support his claims then send him back before he joins a gym and buys a cat.
so he did something knowingly illegal in his own country, and can't face jail over it so he comes over to the UK and claims asylum? There's always one mug who takes sympathy and tries to fight their cause
Welcome to the dross dumping ground of the planet ?
Give him the boot....
In days of old (pre thatcher) it was the same here; It was called GPO telephones.
Remember Viraj Mendis he proved to be an out and out liar he didn't half know how to pull the wool over the suckers eyes, as the saying goes there is one born every minute KICK HIM OUT.
Presumably if everyone in Ethiopia would "face a lengthy jail term and police beatings" if they use Skype, the entire population of Ethiopia is entitled to asylum in the UK.
The irony of this story!
First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.
Martin Niemöller (1892–1984)
huge number of british whites are racist! stop invading other countries and the people from those countries wont come here. if britain hadnt colonised jamaica there wouldnt be so many jamaicans here. if it hadnt colonised india, pakistan and bangladesh then there wouldnt be so many asians. youd have thought britain would have learned its lesson but no. so you invade iraq and afghanistan leading to a massive influx of immigrants from there too. if you want the whole world to be a part of your empire then youre going to have to accept that there is going to be movement within that empire!
you need help
Mr Haile welcome to the UK ,why are you seeking asylum in the United Kingdom ?.
If we cast our minds back to Febuary 2000, a group of Afghans hijacked a plane [they could have chosen to go to anywhere in the world] which finally landed at Stanstead airport !.
Why the UK ?.
how awful this story is yes he should stay here give him a nice house in london and money and a car oooh yes and holiday money ime sure he is ready for a break after his ordeal and we must bring all his family here just in case he misses them terribly and here he can use skype all he likes happy days