Ethiopian Woman Detained in China Faces Death Penalty

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Friends and family are fearing for the life of a 28-year-old Ethiopian woman who has spent more than three months in a Chinese prison on drug charges.

In December, Nazrawit Abera, a civil engineer, flew from Addis Ababa to Beijing to pursue a job opportunity and learn about home building materials, according to her older sister, Abby Abera.

But when she landed at Beijing Capital Airport, officials detained Nazrawit and inspected her luggage. They found five shampoo bottles filled with cocaine. Chinese police arrested Nazrawit on drug trafficking charges, which carry severe penalties in China.

Abby told VOA the bottles did not belong to Nazrawit, and that her sister had agreed to bring them as a favor to a friend from elementary school who had planned to accompany Nazrawit.

When the friend’s father died shortly before the trip, she allegedly asked Nazrawit to bring the bottles on her behalf. She told Nazrawit they contained expensive Brazilian shampoo, according to Abby.

Abby said what followed has been a nightmare for the family. They have been unable to speak to Nazrawit and have received scant details from representatives of the Ethiopian consulate, who met with Abby several times.

“We don’t have any information that says she will be released. What we know and what we have heard is whatever happens will be based on Chinese laws,” Abby told reporters by phone in Amharic. “So our guess is that, based on Chinese laws, there is a possibility that she could be facing the death penalty. She is getting ready to appear in court. All of the family is counting every single second and is stressed.”

Under Chinese law, drug smuggling can result in punishments ranging from 15 years in prison to the death penalty.