Teklemariam Lijam denied bail in Belfast after Interpol‑linked Dublin rape case

Teklemariam Lijam, a 42‑year‑old Eritrean national, was arrested in Belfast following an Interpol‑facilitated search for a high‑risk sex offender. Prosecutors allege he is the man convicted of a 2007 rape in Dublin under the alias Bereket Mekonnen and that he used multiple identities to hide his criminal history. In the Belfast High Court he faced new charges of failing to register as a sex offender, supplying false information to police and perverting the course of justice. Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan refused bail, stating there were no conditions under which he could be safely released. The court was informed that a European Arrest Warrant is being prepared for his surrender to the Republic of Ireland, while Home Office investigations continue into his true identity and refugee status.