Ethiopian opposition leader Lidetu Ayalew Mihretu said Ethiopian Airlines barred him from boarding a flight from the United States back to Ethiopia on Feb. 10, 2025. Ayalew, a vocal critic of the Ethiopian government, said he was at the Atlanta airport to return home after spending years in the United States for medical treatment.
Ayalew sent a text message, accompanied by a photo of himself at the Atlanta airport, detailing the incident.
Ayalew, a prominent figure in Ethiopian politics, had been in the United States for medical treatment, including surgery. Prior to seeking treatment, he was imprisoned for seven months in 2020 under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed‘s administration.
“Although I was found with an unexpired Ethiopian passport and a confirmed travel ticket, Ethiopian Airlines contacted the Ethiopian Embassy in the US and informed me that I could not travel to Ethiopia unless I was granted special permission,” Ayalew said in a statement. “I was told by the head of Ethiopian Airlines in Atlanta, Mr. Teshome Gebreselassie.”
He expressed surprise at the alleged action by the Ethiopian government. “I am surprised that the Ethiopian government, which had been saying that it wanted to charge me with terrorism and was even talking to Interpol to have me arrested, today illegally banned me from returning to my country of my own free will,” he said.
“If the government suspects me of being a criminal, it can charge me and deport me, but it cannot prevent me from entering my country,” Ayalew said. “There is no legal framework to prevent a citizen who has a valid travel document from entering the country.”
Ayalew confirmed that he will be flown back to Ethiopia by another airline following the ban.
Ethiopian Airlines has not yet commented on the allegations that Ayalew was denied travel.
Ayalew had said in May 2025 that he would return to Ethiopia from the United States after being charged by the Ethiopian government with conspiracy to overthrow the government and terrorism.
He had also stated in an interview with Deutsche Welle that he was ready to challenge the charges against him in court. Ayalew spent five months in prison before traveling to the United States for medical treatment and has spent approximately 10 months there over the past three years.
Ayalew’s political journey has been marked by his resistance to authoritarianism. During the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) era, he was imprisoned for his political activities. He has remained an influential figure, publishing numerous books and booklets articulating his political ideas and proposals. He is regarded as a prolific Ethiopian politician in terms of written works, addressing a wide range of ideological perspectives.
