Four journalists killed in Eritrea

Fessahaye “Joshua” Yohannes
Died: January, 2007

"Joshua" Yohannes, the co-editor and co-founder of a weekly newspaper Setit , which had at one time the largest circulation of any newspaper in Eritrea, died in a secret prison in January, 2007, as a result of severe ill-treatment and denial of medical care.

His newspaper probed the boundaries of the Eritrean government's tolerance for alternative viewpoints through its exploration of poverty, land and housing concerns, the plight of handicapped war veterans, and other social issues confronting the country. It also provided a forum for debate on the president's increasingly autocratic rule. An open letter published in Setit on September 9, 2001 , told the government that, "People can tolerate hunger and other problems for a long time, but they can't tolerate the absence of good administration and justice."

Nine days later, with world attention distracted by the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, authorities in this tiny nation on the Horn of Africa moved swiftly to silence critics, and the government suspended all of Eritrea's independent and privately-owned newspapers for allegedly threatening state security and "jeopardizing national unity." With the press out of business, the government cancelled general elections.

Yohannes and 10 other Eritrean journalists arrested in 2001 were detained in severe conditions, despite intense international campaigning for their release by Amnesty International and media organizations. The Eritrean government, defying international concerns, has shrugged off all reports of human rights abuses as fabrications.

In addition to his work with Setit, Yohannes wrote poetry, short stories and plays, and had directed a touring theatrical troupe. He was 47, married and a father of three.

In January 2007, Amnesty International received a credible report that Fessehaye “Joshua” died in detention. Eritrean authorities have failed to either confirm or deny the reports.

Medhane Haile,
Died Feb. 2006

Medhane Haile was deputy editor and co-founder of an Eritrean independent newspaper Keste Deben. He studied law at the University of Asmara in Eritrea and graduated with an LLB degree in 1996.

Haile died in a secret detention camp called Eiraeiro in March, 2005. He was one of the 11 Eritrean journalists of independent newspapers who were rounded up by the police during the week of September 18 to 25, 2001 after the government decided to "suspend" all of Eritrea's privately-owned media and ordered the arrest of everyone considered to be a member of the opposition.

Though there are reports about the death of several journalists and officials due to malaria attacks and other illnesses, there is no clear report regarding the cause of Haile's death.

All of the Eritreans consulted by Reporters Without Borders give harrowing descriptions of conditions at Eiraeiro. Most of the detainees are chained by their hands. They sleep on the ground and have no bed linen. Their heads and beards are shaved once a month. Since February, they have been let out of their cells for an hour a day but without being allowed contact with other prisoners. Any attempt to converse with the camp's guards is immediately punished.

Yusuf Mohamed Ali,
Died in June 13, 2003.

Yusuf Mohamed Ali was editor-in-chief of the weekly Eritrean independent newspaper Tsigenay . He was previously detained for several weeks in October, 2000, and in September, 2001, after Eritrean authorities abruptly banned all non-state print media outlets.

As an editor-in-chief of a private newspaper, Ali, along with his colleagues, had contributed invaluable efforts to aware Eritrean population about the prevailing political situation and the absence of rule of law and social justice in the country until the date of his arrest on September 18, 2001.

Reporters Without Borders has learned that Yusuf Mohammed, with others independent journalists, was held in Eiraeiro detention camp in the North-eastern region of Eritrea where several prisoners including former officials have died as a result of “various illnesses, psychological pressure or suicide.” Yusuf reportedly died in such a situation on June 13, 2003.

Said Abdulkader,
Died in March 2005.

Editor and founder of Admas , Said Abdulkader was picked up by security agents in a series of dawn raids on September 20, 2001 . He had been held in the famous secret military prison called Eiraeiro detention camp in a severe condition until he died in March, 2005.

Admas along with seven other privately-owned newspapers in Eritrea was banned on September 18, 2001 . The closure of these newspapers came on the same day as the arrests of seven former ministers and generals who had become very critical of President Issaias Afeworki. They were part of a group of 15 leading figures who had publicly asked the president for "more democracy" in Eritrea.

From September 18 to 21, 2001 , Abdulkader and at least 10 journalists from the privately-owned media were picked up by the authorities and taken to prison. The precise reason for their arrest was not announced, but most of them had interviewed or quoted the president's critics.

In addition to his involvement in private press, Abdulkader also co-owned a printing company with his father in Asmara , Eritrea.

By Michael, Eritrean Journalist in Exile