Sister of the copilot-turned-hijacker, Hailemedhin Abera, claims her brother was under mental stress for the past few months and appealed for compassion in a note she posted on facebook.

Tinsae Abera, 26, is the youngest one in the family, according to sources who also told HornAffairs the facebook timeline is genuine.

The part of Tinsae’s note that conveys the gist of her message reads: (translation ours):

Hailemedhin was a lively guy who cares for his family, until recently. Even though he continued to display his affection by looking out for the needs and security of the family, lately he halted his relationship with his friends and relatives, His happy and chatty behaviors was replaced by reclusiveness and loneliness. He looked depressed.

After probing him insistently, we learnt that he believes there are enemies following him out to get him. He thinks his phone is bugged. He won’t open his laptop without covering the web-camera for fear that it is used to spy on him. He installed security camera believing that his home is searched when he is not at home. In general, he was under big mental stress.

The sad part is that he didn’t share his problem even to us – his family. My brother is a selfless person who lends hand to help others but not the kind who ask for help even when facing this type of suffering. We regret we didn’t do enough to help him get medical help, after he revealed his condition vaguely…..

We ask your help – in any way you can – so that copilot Hailemedhin to get justice and an return to where he have been. Once he returns home, his family pledges to make sure he gets medical help and compensate this country by serving in his utmost capacity.

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[Stay tuned]