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The
Story
The most troubling fact
about the journalists imprisoned in Eritrea is the dearth
of available information. Targeted during two waves
of journalist arrests carried out in September 2001
and November 2006, the group, currently said to total
18, has been little heard of ever since. Questions regarding
their exact whereabouts and state of health abound.
Many were reportedly imprisoned
at Eiraeiro, in the Northern Red Sea desert province,
a notorious prison allegedly holding numerous political
prisoners. News of the prison's existence emerged only
in 2006, after several political prisoners died there.
Conditions at the facility are said to be brutal, with
inmates permanently manacled, forbidden from communicating
with each other or with guards, and provided with little
other than bread and vegetables to eat.
The exact number of those
currently imprisoned remains unclear. Occasional individual
sightings are reported, and several journalists are
rumoured to have died in custody, some long ago.
The
Arrests
The first crackdown occurred
immediately after the 9/11 attacks on the United States.
President Isaias Afwerki's government launched an assault
on practically all of the young nation's critical voices,
arresting hundreds of government opponents, shutting
down every independent media outlet and arresting independent
journalists on sight, all in the name of combating terrorism.
The arrests were said to be motivated by an effort to
eliminate political dissent ahead of elections, which
were scheduled for December 2001 but subsequently cancelled
without explanation. Approximately eight to 12 journalists
were imprisoned and, a few months later, transferred
to undisclosed locations after going on hunger strike.
The second wave of arrests
took place in November of 2006 and focused on journalists
working for the state media, with nine journalists detained,
apparently to intimidate state media workers after several
colleagues had fled the country. Some were subsequently
released, although they were followed and their phones
were tapped; they were also forced to return to work
and expressly forbidden from leaving the capital, Asmara.
The
Journalists
As of late 2008, the following
journalists are believed to remain imprisoned, and some
are feared dead. Please click on the individual names
for more information about these journalists.
Dawit
Isaac, journalist, co-founder of Setit,
Eritrea's first independent newspaper
Fessehaye
"Joshua" Yohannes (Johannes),
journalist, co-founder of Setit, Eritrea's first
independent newspaper
Yusuf
(Yosuf) Mohamed Ali, editor-in-chief of Tsigenay
(Tsegenay)
Mattewos
Habteab, co-founder and editor of Meqaleh
Dawit
Habtemichael, co-founder and assistant editor-in-chief
of Meqaleh
Medhanie
Haile, co-founder and assistant chief editor
of Keste Debena
Temesken
(Temesgen) Ghebreyesus (Gebreyesus), sports
reporter for Keste Debena
Emanuel
(Amanuel)(Emmanuel) Asrat, editor of Zemen
Said
Abdulkader, editor and founder of Admas
Seyoum
Tsehaye, director of Eritrean state television,
freelance editor and photographer
Hamid
Mohammed Said, news and sports editor, Eritrean
state television
Saleh
Al Jezaeeri (Al-Jezaeri), reporter for Eritrean
state radio, as well as for a government newspaper
Fitzum
Wedi Ade, assistant editor with Zemen
Selamyinghes
Beyene, reporter for Meqaleh,
Zemenfes
Haile, founder and manager of Tsigenay
Ghebrehiwet
(Gebrehiwot) Keleta, reporter for Tsigenay
Daniel
Mussie, Radio Dimtsi Hafash
Tura
Kubaba, Radio Dimtsi Hafash
Recent Developments
Information has been sparse,
but the little news that emerged was ominous. In February
2007, reports surfaced that Fesshaye "Joshua"
Yohannes had succumbed to illness. According to several
recent estimates, as many as three other journalists
may also have died in custody, possibly as early as
2005 or 2006. They include Said Abdulkader of Admas;
Medhanie Haile of Keste Debena; and Yusuf Mohamed Ali
of Tsigenay. The others remain in jail, held incommunicado
and without charge or access to legal representation.
IPI and other press freedom
and human rights organisations have repeatedly called
on the Eritrean government to release these journalists,
and at the very least to specify their whereabouts,
ensure their health and permit them access to both family
members and legal representatives.
Disappointingly, the international
community's response has been fairly muted, particularly
in Europe, where once relatively forceful criticism
has recently waned. European development officials have
made no public mention of the detainees during recent
visits to the country. In the meantime, Eritrea's governmental
leaders have consistently ignored appeals, instead insisting
that the journalists were jailed not for their critical
writings, but for "undermining the sovereignty
and national security of Eritrea".
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