A 46-year-old security attache for the Ethiopian Embassy in DC, Solomon Tadesse, whom authorities charged in connection with a Sept. 29 shooting near the building, has left the country, officials said.
By Mario Trujillo
An Ethiopian diplomat who allegedly fired a gun during a protest this week at his country’s embassy in Washington, D.C., has left the United States to escape prosecution.
The State Department on Thursday confirmed that it had asked Ethiopia to waive the diplomat’s immunity so he could be prosecuted in U.S. courts, which was refused.
“In this case, we requested a waiver of immunity to permit prosecution of the individual involved in that incident,” State Department press secretary Jen Psaki said. “The request was declined and the individual involved has now left the country.”
Diplomats are expelled from the United States when their host country declines to waive diplomatic immunity.
Psaki, who did not identify the diplomat, said once expelled, individuals typically are not allowed back to the U.S. for any other reason but prosecution.
The Secret Service responded to reports of a gunshot at the Ethiopian Embassy compound on Monday and detained an individual believed to have fired the shot.
No injuries were reported from the incident, which was partially caught on camera with a man in a black suit wielding a handgun amid a small crowd of people before the gunshot is heard.
Reuters reported the man turned himself into authorities but he was not arrested because of his diplomatic immunity.
Ethiopian-Diplomat Flees US After Embassy shooting, State Department Official Says (AFP)
US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki. (Getty Images)
Washington – An Ethiopian diplomat who opened fire to quell a protest outside his country’s embassy in Washington has left the United States to avoid prosecution, a US official said Thursday.
Secret Service agents arrested the man on Monday after shots were fired in the air in the embassy’s outside compound in the US capital.
Video shown by Ethiopian television ESAT showed a man brandishing and firing a handgun as a small crowd of protesters took down the Ethiopian national flag.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said her bureau had requested that Addis Ababa lift the man’s diplomatic immunity “to permit prosecution of the individual involved in that incident.”
The “request was declined” and in line with State Department regulations “the individual involved has now left the country.”
Psaki gave no further details about the shooting or the person involved.
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Ethiopian Embassy security attache charged in shooting at building – The Washington Post
By Victoria St. Martin
A 46-year-old security attache for the Ethiopian Embassy, whom authorities charged in connection with a Sept. 29 shooting near the building, has left the country, officials said.
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office said the attache, Solomon Tadesse G. Silasse, was charged with assault with intent to kill while armed in connection with a shooting outside the embassy on International Drive NW.
Bill Miller, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, said Silasse has diplomatic immunity. Jen Psaki, a spokeswoman for the State Department, said authorities requested a waiver of immunity to prosecute Silasse, but the request was denied.
Read more and watch video at The Washington Post »
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Related:
Video: Shot Fired outside Ethiopian Embassy in Washington, .D.C (FOX)
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