Ethiopia's biggest pop star Teddy Afro has been freed early from prison in the country, after being convicted of manslaughter in December last year.
As previously reported, Afro was convicted in relation to an incident in the country's capital Addis Ababa back in 2006, in which a homeless man was killed in a hit-and-run accident. The singer, real name Tewodros Kassahun, stood accused of running the man over and driving away without reporting the incident, as well as being charged with driving without a licence. He was sentenced to six years in prison, though this was reduced to two years in February on the grounds that the dead man had been lying in the road.
Fans of Afro, and the singer himself, maintain that the charges were fabricated and politically motivated; his music was used as an anthem for anti-government protesters during the country's 2005 elections. Details about the actual evidence presented in the trial are sparse, though we do know there is confusion over which date the man actually died on, so how they claim to know that it was Afro that did it is anyone's guess. There were two possible dates cited for the homeless man's death; on one Afro was out of the country, the second he claimed to be out with friends.
Leaving the court after being convicted, he told journalists: "I never killed anyone, I didn't get justice from this court".
However, upon his release for good behaviour this week, eight months into his sentence, he told state TV: "I would like to express my respect and gratitude to all the people of our country. I was able to meet many good people in prison, from the lowest-ranking policemen to the highest administrator. I had a nice time. My relations with other prisoners were also good".