SNELLVILLE, Ga. — A Snellville man has been arrested on federal charges that he falsely obtained U.S. citizenship.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Mezemr Abebe Belayneh lied about his involvement in the 1970s Red Terror period in Ethiopia.
During the Red Terror period, civilians were held and tortured in makeshift prisons on the basis of their religious.
The DOJ says Belayneh was a civilian interrogator at a makeshift prison in Dilla, Ethiopia in the late 1970s where he ordered and participated in the severe physical abuse and interrogation of prisoners.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
They say that when Belayneh applied for citizenship, he falsely claimed that he had not persecuted anyone because of their political opinions and had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Fallen Holly Springs officer remembered as hero as he was laid to rest Monday
- Atlanta Child Murders: Monday marks 40 year anniversary of Wayne Williams’ arrest
- Georgia community issues ‘urgent’ warning after fentanyl-laced drugs leaves several people dead
“The laws of the United States are designed to provide refuge for the victims of human rights violation and to exclude those who commit them,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine.
“Human rights violators have no home in the United States,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “No matter how much time has passed, the Department of Justice will find and prosecute individuals who committed atrocities in their home countries and covered them up to gain entry to the United States.”
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Belayneh was indicted by a federal grand jury in May on two counts of unlawful procurement of naturalization. If convicted, his citizenship will be stripped away.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations is continuing their investigation into Belayneh’s alleged actions.
IN OTHER NEWS:
This browser does not support the video element.