Abraham Teklu Lemma: US contractor gave Ethiopia secrets to help kill Tigray fighters

Abraham Teklu Lemma, an Ethiopian-born American citizen and former US government contractor, pleaded guilty to passing dozens of classified documents and photographs to senior Ethiopian officials. Between 2021 and his arrest in August 2023, he extracted intelligence, including satellite imagery and details of military activity, and sent it through encrypted messages. The FBI says Ethiopian officials used the intelligence in military operations, and prosecutors say Lemma hoped it would help Ethiopia’s military identify and kill paramilitary fighters during the Tigray war. The 54-year-old faces up to 22 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for next April.