Background

ERITREA:  Free Journalists!
                                                                                                                                                                         
To President Issayas Afewerki                                                                                                                             

c/o Ambassador Girma Asmerom                                                                                                                         

     Embassy of the State of Eritrea                                                                                                                         

     1708 New Hampshire Avenue N.W.                                                                                                            

     Washington, D.C. 20009                                                                                                                                

Your Excellency:

We are very concerned that Mattewos Habteab and other independent journalists in Eritrea have been detained for more than six years simply for carrying out their professional duties. They have been held in secret detention without the benefit of charges or trial and with no access to their families or to legal counsel.

On September 18, 2001, authorities arrested a group of prominent political dissidents and shut down all of Eritrea's independent newspapers for allegedly "jeopardizing national unity." In following days, police detained many leaders of the independent media, including Mattewos Habteab, editor of the newspaper, Meqaleh (?Echo?). The detained journalists staged a hunger strike in March 2002 to protest their detention. In response, officials transferred the detainees to secret locations. None have been heard from since.

Amnesty International considers Mattewos Habteab and the other detained journalists - including Said Abdulkadir (reportedly died in prison), Yosuf Mohamed Ali (reportedly died in prison), Amanuel Asrat, Temesgen Gebreyesus, Dawit Habtemichael, Medhanie Haile (reportedly died in prison), Dawit Isaac, Seyoum Tsehaye, Saleh Al-Jezaeri, and Hamid Mohamed Said - to be prisoners of conscience detained solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression.

We respectfully urge you to bring about their immediate and unconditional release. Thank you. Your name                      Address                               City /State                 

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