Tsegazghi: I was a judge, a fugitive and a refugee
Image: A magenta border, with a fully lit Hanukía in cyans, in white: "Eight Refugee Stories for Chanukah" and the Birmingham Progressive Synagogue logo, "celebrating Birmingham as a City of Sanctuary". Centrally on white, in cyan: Tsegazghi "I was a judge, a fugitive and a refugee!”.
Tsegazghi was born in Eritrea, where he was appointed as a judge at the age of 23. He was imprisoned when he refused to follow government demands that he defy the law with his rulings. Knowing that he may never be released, his planned a successful escape and became a fugitive, eventually making it into Ethiopia as a refugee. He later came to the UK, where he settled in Birmingham and is an active member of Citizens UK and other community initiatives. He says he has been shaped by his story as a refugee, knowing that it can happen to anyone, and tries to give back to other refugees.