Herne Bay man detained in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for planning animals rights protest

An animal rights protestor arrested in Ethiopia has been released after being detained in prison, a campaign group has confirmed.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) says Reuben Skeats was detained after scouting for a future protest location at the Ethiopian Airlines ticket office in the African nation’s captial city, Addis Ababa.

The 24-year-old, who is from Herne Bay, had been part of a group planning to stage a demonstration wearing prison uniforms and monkey masks outside the company’s headquarters.

PETA claims the airline is shipping monkeys in “tiny crates” to American laboratories.

The group also says its Asia senior vice president Jason Baker and his 11-year-old son were arrested alongside Mr Skeats.

It added the trio had been held since 4.30pm UK-time last Wednesday at Legehar police station in Addis Ababa.

He was released after more than 24 hours in custody, the organisation said.

Mr Skeats told PETA officials while in prison: “I’ve been held here overnight simply for speaking up for monkeys who are suffering because Ethiopian Airlines ships them to laboratories.”

PETA US senior vice president Kathy Guillermo added: “Sitting in prison is a miserable way to spend the night, but we know that Reuben, Jason and his son will be home soon – unlike the thousands of monkeys who are torn from their families and sent halfway around the globe to die in US laboratories.

“PETA and our supporters around the world will continue to urge the company to do the right thing.”

Despite his close shave with the law, Mr Skeats has since been spotted continuing protest efforts – though this time in Paris as it gears up to host the Olympic Games.

As part of a separate protest on Tuesday, he joined 15 other almost naked PETA activists – each body-painted as a different nation’s flag – to draw attention to what it says is routine mistreatment and exploitation of animals for fur, leather, and feathers.

Painted head to toe to resemble the Union Jack and holding a sign that read, “United Against Cruelty to Animals” on one side and “No Leather, Feathers, or Fur!” on the other, Mr Skeats was part of the colourful display in Place de la République in the heart of Paris.

“The Olympic Games are about solidarity and peace, which makes Paris the perfect stage for us to stand as a united coalition of painted flags and remind everyone that there’s no place anywhere in the world for exploiting animals for their skin,” said Mr Skeats.

“All eyes are on the Olympics in the fashion capital of the world, and we’re calling on the industry to play fair and stop confining, bludgeoning, and skinning animals – sometimes while they’re still alive – for fur, leather, feathers, and other materials obtained from their suffering.”