Dar es Salaam. America is often seen as the land of dreams, but for Andrew Hango, this promise turned into a nightmare that left him disabled.
He is on medication and one side of the body is paralyzed, after long term torture both physically and physiologically, he later suffered heart attack and stroke.
Hango, a Tanzanian national married to a US citizen for over two decades, embarked on a journey that became a harrowing battle for justice against the country he hoped to call home.
He ended up spending seven years in prison without being sentenced.
Mr Hango has since sued the US government seeking $5 million (Sh13billion) in compensation for brutality by law enforcement officials, wrongful imprisonment, physical and psychological torture.
His family in Tanzania claims that even his country of birth has not been of help in his time of need and that officials at the foreign ministry have offered very little in his struggle for justice.
“The officials acted as representatives with uppermost indifference and lack of empathy, and heartless to the suffering of fellow Tanzanian. There was a complete lack of human rights care or regard, and their plain mockery of one’s suffering was astounding,” says the family.
The Citizen contacted one of the officials whose docket was supposed to handle the case, but Foreign affairs ministry are yet to respond on the issue.
When The Citizen first reached out for comment from the US embassy in April, they declined to comment, a stand they still maintain.
According to Hango’s family, it all began with a routine trip abroad in 2004, a journey that would forever alter Andrew’s life. At the airport, confusion over paperwork quickly escalated into a nightmare.
Andrew found himself surrounded by US law enforcement officers, handcuffed, and subjected to a vicious beating that left him bloodied and barely conscious.
The officials then allegedly tried bundle him on a KLM flight at the JFK Airport. The incident, captured on CCTV, was a stark testament to the brutality he endured.
“The situation was so severe and to avoid the situation not to be known he was put in jail without proper booking including no photo because his lips were busted, blooded and badly and unrecognizably swollen face also did not allow police report to be taken and denied medical treatment for bodily injuries he was inflicted,” says the family.
Despite legal intervention by Tanzanian officials and a federal judge’s order to investigate, Andrew was whisked away to a remote, undisclosed prison.
It was not until a religious preacher reported my situation to the Tanzania Embassy Washington DC and the New Jersey District Court that his whereabouts were known.
It was at that point that federal Judge Joseph Greenaway took the case and ordered the US Marshall to investigate and prepare an immediate report.
After the US Marshall report submission, a civil case under Bevins law was opened as a punitive damage compensation case which meant that the outcome of the case must be settled by law and charged 15 US government officials for abuse of Mr. Hango’s human rights.
“After these charges reached the US government Mr. Hango was put on flight and taken to a hidden notorious prison on one of the island where he was tortured routinely and isolated in a dark room for six months without medication and there was no outside communication or legal representation for three years,” says the family.
Cut off from the world, denied medical care for injuries that rendered him partially paralyzed, Andrew languished in darkness for three agonizing years.
The Citizen’s search could not yield the exact island where Andrew Hango was held, though different sources admit the presence of such facilities in the US at the time
The actions of the law enforcers seemed calculated to silence him, to bury the truth beneath layers of bureaucracy and indifference.
But Andrew’s plight did not go unnoticed, according to the family, Allan Mzengi from Tanzanian Embassy in Washington DC found where he was hidden and notified the court of serious abuse of power against human rights.
With unwavering determination, human rights lawyers rallied to his cause, exposing the systematic abuses he suffered.
The case, under the Bivens law, marked a critical juncture in the fight against governmental overreach and the denial of basic human rights.
As the legal battle unfolded, the Hango family faced yet another cruel twist. An insulting settlement offer of $20,000 (Sh54 million) and conditional promises was delivered with threats of further retribution if Andrew refused.
“He was at the Tanzania Embassy in Washington DC during his phone call and the phone call was on Speaker and employees were listening to the threats.”
He refused to take the offer because of the threats, lack of good faith settlement per state of claim of this case which was five million dollars.
The family says it was a stark reminder of the forces aligned against him, attempting to coerce compliance and sweep his suffering under the rug.
Through it all, Andrew’s wife and family stood steadfast, amplifying his voice across international platforms, demanding accountability and restitution.
Their tireless advocacy, coupled with global support, forced the US government to confront its own failings in the glaring light of public scrutiny.
After disagreement on forceful and inadequate offer Mr. David Eskew as promised true to his word that Mr. Hango will never see the streets again, in 2019 he was arrested again without reason or crime and was put in different jails including military airport jail.
Finally, in December 2021, after relentless pressure and legal maneuvering, Andrew was freed from wrongful imprisonment.
His release, secured with the help of international diplomats and rights advocates, brought a fleeting sense of victory amidst the enduring struggle for true justice.
Today, Andrew Hango continues his fight, his body scarred and his spirit indomitable. He navigates daily life with the aid of medication, a reminder of the price exacted for standing up against injustice.
On the other hand, the Hango family continues to pursue their quest for a rightful settlement and permanent resolution.
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