Swedish doctor freed from Ethiopian prison
Fikru Maru, a Swedish-Ethiopian heart doctor, was released from prison in Addis Ababa on Tuesday.
Maru's lawyer, Hans Bagner, confirmed the news to the TT news agency early on Tuesday afternoon.
"This is something we could only dream about. It feels fantastic," he said.
Maru himself spoke to Swedish public broadcaster SVT soon after his release.
"It's hard to express my feelings right now, it's just so nice to be out in the fresh air again," he said.
Fikru Maru. Photo: TT
Maru has been in prison in Addis Ababa since May 12th in 2013, originally suspected of corruption and later of terror crimes.
The doctor, born in 1950 and with family ties to Ethiopia, said he only has eyes for one thing now.
"I want to go home now. I'll come home to Sweden, I promise you that," he added.
Sweden has protested the imprisonment of Maru several times.
Sweden’s Foreign Minister Margot Wallström, in Ethiopia, said she was glad Sweden’s “intense” work on the case paid off.
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“It makes me extremely happy that we finally go the result and that he can finally be with his family after these long years,” she told news agency TT.
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Maru's lawyer, Hans Bagner, confirmed the news to the TT news agency early on Tuesday afternoon.
"This is something we could only dream about. It feels fantastic," he said.
Maru himself spoke to Swedish public broadcaster SVT soon after his release.
"It's hard to express my feelings right now, it's just so nice to be out in the fresh air again," he said.
Fikru Maru. Photo: TT
Maru has been in prison in Addis Ababa since May 12th in 2013, originally suspected of corruption and later of terror crimes.
The doctor, born in 1950 and with family ties to Ethiopia, said he only has eyes for one thing now.
"I want to go home now. I'll come home to Sweden, I promise you that," he added.
Sweden has protested the imprisonment of Maru several times.
Sweden’s Foreign Minister Margot Wallström, in Ethiopia, said she was glad Sweden’s “intense” work on the case paid off.
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“It makes me extremely happy that we finally go the result and that he can finally be with his family after these long years,” she told news agency TT.
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