Ethiopian-born doctor returns to Sweden after being freed

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Ethiopian-born doctor returns to Sweden after being freed

5:27 CAT | 18 May 2018

A Swedish doctor who had been imprisoned in his native Ethiopia on charges of corruption and terrorism has returned to Sweden.

Fikru Maru says “I didn’t believe in it until I actually sat in the plane and it took off,” according to the Expressen daily after being welcomed by family and friends at Stockholm’s Arlanda airport on Friday.

Fikru was released on Wednesday. He was arrested in 2013 after a years-long dispute over equipment for his cardiology clinic in Addis Ababa. The terrorism charge came years later when he and others were accused of starting a deadly fire in the prison where they were held.

In January, Ethiopia’s former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn promised to free members of political parties and others after more than a year of anti-government protests.

One of the most intensive and happy weeks in my life. Welcome to freedom Fikru Maru you have one of the most fantastic daughter I’ve met. pic.twitter.com/vKl6pmRMw3

— Torbjorn Pettersson (@TorbjornP) May 18, 2018

Happening: families, including his daughter Emy Fikru, & friends celebrate the release of Dr. Fikru Maru at Addis Cardiac Hospital, a hospital he helped establish. Also present are Swedish Amb. to #Ethiopia Torbjörn Pettersson (@TorbjornP) & his spouse, as per AS’s @MahletFasil pic.twitter.com/7AYMtmD3qa

— Addis Standard (@addisstandard) May 15, 2018

#FikruMaru is free at last. Thank you @Dr_Abiy_Ahmed #AndyTsige remains. pic.twitter.com/OqvPHBhOEG

— Rasselas (@dethiopien) May 15, 2018

Retweeted FANA BROADCASTING C (@fanatelevision):

Attorney General drops charges against 62 individuals, including Dr Fikru Maru #Ethiopia @fanatelevision https://t.co/yoclZwXIYE pic.twitter.com/R8X70plgiU

— #ኢትዮጵያ _ዊነት ከዘር በላይ ነው!! (@SebhatAmare) May 11, 2018