FREE CANADIAN 🇨🇦 CITIZEN ADONAY BIRHANE HAILEMICHAEL — ARRESTED IN ETHIOPIA FOR HIS CLOTHING AND EXPRESSION

To: Government of Canada

• Global Affairs Canada

• Canadian Embassy to Ethiopia

• Ethiopian Human Rights Commission

• United Nations Human Rights Council

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🚨 URGENT:

A CANADIAN CITIZEN HAS BEEN ARRESTED IN ETHIOPIA FOR SIMPLY DRESSING DIFFERENTLY

We, the undersigned, call for the IMMEDIATE RELEASE of ADONAY BIRHANE HAILEMICHAEL, a Canadian citizen who has been unjustly and arbitrarily detained by Ethiopian Federal Police.

On Tahesas 1, 2018 E.C., the Ethiopian Federal Police publicly announced that Adonay was arrested because he appeared on TikTok and television wearing clothing they labeled “unacceptable,” “contrary to culture,” and “against moral values.”

This is NOT a crime.

This is a politically motivated attack on personal freedom and expression.

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📌 WHY THIS ARREST IS WRONG

Adonay’s arrest violates core international human rights, including:

• Freedom of expression

• Freedom of personal identity and dress

• Protection from arbitrary arrest

• The right to dignity and fair treatment

These rights are protected by:

• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Articles 18 & 19)

• The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

• The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights

No individual should be arrested for wearing different clothing on social media.

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🇨🇦 CANADA MUST ACT IMMEDIATELY

As a Canadian citizen, Adonay is entitled to:

✔ Consular access

✔ Legal protection

✔ Representation and advocacy

✔ Immediate intervention for his wellbeing

We urgently call upon:

• Global Affairs Canada

• The Canadian Embassy in Addis Ababa

• Canadian Members of Parliament

 

to demand his immediate release and ensure his safety and legal rights.

⚠️ A POLITICALLY MOTIVATED & DISCRIMINATORY ARREST

The police statement accuses Adonay and others of using media platforms “to gain recognition and money” and “imposing a cheap culture.” This shows that the arrest is not about public safety, but about:

• Policing culture

• Intimidating youth

• Silencing creators

• Targeting expression that doesn’t fit political preferences

 

This is unjust, discriminatory, and unacceptable.

 

🕊 WE STAND FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION & JUSTICE

Adonay deserves:

• Freedom

• Safety

• Respect for his identity

• Fair treatment and due process

His arrest is arbitrary, unnecessary, and a violation of human rights.

✍️ WE DEMAND:

1️⃣ Immediate release of Canadian citizen Adonay Birhane Hailemichael

2️⃣ Full consular access and protection from the Canadian government

3️⃣ Transparency regarding his condition, legal process, and status

4️⃣ International human rights pressure to ensure due process and safety

5️⃣ Protection of freedom of expression in Ethiopia

**📢 NO ONE SHOULD BE ARRESTED FOR CLOTHING.

NO ONE SHOULD BE PUNISHED FOR EXPRESSION.

STAND WITH ADONAY. STAND FOR HUMAN RIGHTS.**

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