Has anybody had a rough couple days this past week? Maybe work has been beating you down lately or you’ve had some car troubles that left you with some unexpected costs. Whatever happened that is causing grief I have a story to share with you today that will snap you out of your self-loathing trance. It will not be possible to feel sorry for yourself any longer after reading about the terrifying experiences of Abreham Zemedagegehu in a Virginia prison.

This horrifying story began in the Reagan National Airport. Abreham Zemedagegehu, a homeless man, was in search of a place to get out of the cold to get some sleep. Apparently, he picked the wrong place to catch some shut-eye. He was arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority after someone complained that he stole an iPad.

Zemedagegehu, who is deaf, communicates using Ethiopian or American Sign Language. He only understands the basics of the written English language. As he was being hauled away, Mr. Zemedagegehu had no idea why he was being arrested. In an attempt to figure out why he was being detained, he requested an ASL interpreter to explain what was happening. This request was not granted during the booking process or in the weeks that followed.

Newser reports on the nightmare faced by Zemedagegehu:

After he was booked, he underwent a medical screening, and says he was given forms to sign. He didn’t know what they were, and refused to sign them. He says they stuck a needle in his arm without explaining what was occurring — he later learned it was tuberculosis test, to which he suffered a bad reaction. It was not until he was arraigned Feb. 4, and a court interpreter was present, that he understood the charge against him. When he was offered an opportunity to communicate, he said the jail provided a TTY device. Zemedagegehu said the machine was useless — it types out English text he doesn’t understand, and as a practical matter, he said, no one in the deaf community still uses a TTY device. He needed instead access to a videophone or video relay service that is more commonly used, he said.

Unfortunately, this was only the beginning of Abreham Zemedagegehu’s time in captivity. He spent the next six weeks locked up. His confusion and frustration built as he was unable to communicate with the prison officials that neglected to provide him with the means to communicate.

Frustrated and helpless, Abreham struck a plea deal to escape the hell he was living in. By pleading guilty to a lesser misdemeanor charge, he was able to exchange time served for his release. Abreham only took the plea deal to get out of jail and he says he did not steal the iPad.

The facts are on Abreham’s side, considering the iPad was never stolen in the first place! You see, the iPad owner, who claimed it was stolen by Abreham, found it before Abreham agreed to a plea deal. Common sense would lead us to believe this new information would lead to the conviction against Abreham being overturned. But alas, we do not live in a rational world.

His public defender filed a motion asking the judge to overturn the conviction, because the prosecutors failed to turn over evidence that the stolen iPad was found prior to the guilty plea. Unfortunately, the judge refused to overturn the conviction, saying the appeal was filed too late.

Since nobody seems to care about Mr. Zemedagegehu receiving the justice he deserves, he is taking on the fight himself, with the help of a charitable law firm.

Abreham Zemedagegehu is seeking to hold his captor accountable for his cruel treatment in their custody. He has sued the Arlington County sheriff in federal court. The law firm Akin Gump has taken Zemedagegehu’s lawsuit on a pro bono basis. The lawsuit says his treatment failed to meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

I would argue his treatment and detainment failed to meet the standards expected in a civilized society! Only barbarians would lock up an immigrant, deaf individual on suspicion of theft with no evidence, then refuse to provide the proper communication tools necessary, and even perform medical procedures without consent.

Those responsible for the crimes committed against Mr. Zemedagegehu deserve to pay. Hopefully, Mr. Zemedagegehu is compensated handsomely for the crimes committed against him by those that violate his rights. There is a part of me that would like to see those responsible for the six weeks of hell endured by Zemedagegehu pay for their crimes by being subjected to similar treatment. Realistically, the men responsible for this travesty will keep their jobs and will not suffer any consequences for their barbaric behavior.

See, I told you that your personal struggles are nothing compared to the neglect and abuse endured by this man.

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