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Eritrea: ‘10,000 political prisoners in awful conditions’ – BBC

Thousands of political prisoners are being held by Eritrea in "unimaginably atrocious conditions", says Amnesty International, and not one has ever been charged with any crime. The rights group says at least 10,000 people have been

Thousands of political prisoners are being held by Eritrea in “unimaginably atrocious conditions”, says Amnesty International, and not one has ever been charged with any crime.

The rights group says at least 10,000 people have been jailed for political reasons since President Isaias Afewerki came to power 20 years ago.

It says torture is widespread in a network of detention centres.

Eritrea’s ambassador to London Tesfamicael Gerahtu denied the charges.

He told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme that the number of 10,000 people imprisoned was a “mythical” figure and that people were free to express their view in the country.

The Eritrean ambassador also confirmed that Eritrea’s long-time Information Minister Ali Abdu had fled the country “about six months ago” but did not say why.

Some of those imprisoned are journalists or critics of the government, the Amnesty report says. Others have practised an unregistered religion, or tried to flee the country or avoid conscription into the army.

In most cases, prisoners’ families are not informed of their whereabouts, and often never hear from their relative again.

“The government has systematically used arbitrary arrest and detention without charge to crush all opposition, to silence all dissent, and to punish anyone who refuses to comply with the repressive restrictions it places on people’s lives,” said Claire Beston, Amnesty’s Eritrea researcher.

Continue reading the main story

Eritrea in focus

  • Once an Italian colony, Eritrea gained independence from neighbouring Ethiopia in 1993 after a 32-year armed struggle
  • Relations with Ethiopia, a key US ally, deteriorated and the neighbours fought a border war between 1998 and 2000 in which some 100,000 people were killed
  • The UN imposed sanctions on Eritrea in 2009 after accusations that President Isaias Afewerki’s government was backing anti-Ethiopian Islamist insurgents in Somalia
  • Eritrea is the only African country to have no privately owned news media
  • The UN estimates that 3,000 Eritreans left the country each month last year – often fleeing poverty and national service for men until the age of 40
  • Eritrea is said to be on the brink of a mining boom, but economic progress is hampered by the proportion of those in the army rather than the workforce

“Twenty years on from the euphoric celebrations of independence, Eritrea is one of the most repressive, secretive and inaccessible countries in the world.”

Helicopter position

The facilities used as detention centres include underground cells or shipping containers, Amnesty says.

The group says some prisoners are left for days in what is known as the helicopter position – lying face down with their hands and feet bound together.

It says it has received many reports of deaths in detention resulting from torture, the bad conditions or suicide.

A former detainee held in a detention centre in Barentu told Amnesty:

“The room was about 2.5m by 3m [8 by 10 feet] and we were 33 people. It is very, very hot. The door is closed, the ceiling is low, about 2m. The temperature was about 50C.

“A boy, about 17 years old, was about to die. We were not permitted to speak, but we banged the door. They [the guards] told us they would kill all of us if we did not stop shouting. We couldn’t do anything to help him.”

Amnesty is calling for all prisoners to be either immediately charged with a recognisable crime or released.

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78 COMMENTS
  • A.A Yassin May 9, 2013

    Don’t trust BBC. It is an arm of the British intelligence service. Check their reporting on Syria and other issues in the wrold.

    • gidewon May 9, 2013

      You mean we have to trust only shabait??

      • A.A Yassin May 10, 2013

        SABA to A.A.Yassin,

        A.A. Yassin, i do not trust especially Western media agencies too.

    • Genet May 9, 2013

      AA Yassin
      Do you live in a babble? Are you really Eritrean?
      Genet

    • Ahmed May 10, 2013

      Nobody believes BBC , its just bullshit

  • A.A Yassin May 9, 2013

    As for amnesty the fat cats of amnesty have to justify, every now and then, the exisitance of their intelligence gathering and blackmailing white supermacist establishment by fabricating their so-called ‘ human rights reports ‘.

    • gidewon May 9, 2013

      Think beyond minority feeling..

    • Genet May 9, 2013

      AA Yassin
      Ali Abdu had fled Eritrea just like the rest of Eritrean.
      Can you tell us why he fled? It can’t be due to poverty? Any idea?
      Genet

    • Saba May 10, 2013

      A.A. Yassin, i do not trust especially Western media agencies too, BUT you as eritrean or someone from the horn of africa, can you really deny the misery existing in our country???
      I always ask myself,why so many people have died and still dying for nothing ?!!! The so called struggle at this moment was for nothing. Our brothers and sisters got so humiliated,indoctrinated with the biggest rubbish ever.
      Our culture,traditions,roots,history you name it got raped just as our brothers and sisters are getting raped by filthy dirty bedous in Sinai or nasty arabs anywhere.

      • A.A Yassin May 10, 2013

        SABA,

        A.A. Yassin, i do not trust especially Western media agencies too, BUT you as eritrean or someone from the horn of africa, can you really deny the misery existing in our country???

        What do you mean by misery? I don’t want to give you a wrong answer.

        • Ghenet May 10, 2013

          AA yassin,
          you can’t answer the question (Saba’s), can you?

  • Yerihiwo May 9, 2013

    I am glad BBC had a program about secretive mafia regime of Dictator Isaias Afwerki. Please note, lies..lies ..lies is the response of the mafia regime to the Amnesty report! Dictator as usual will respond ..show me the evidence..as if Eritrea give free access to its documents if there are any. All the orders are done verbally…the Dictator knows well any trace of paper will put him in the grave fast.

    WHAT IS THE WORLD WAITING??? PLS CHARGE THIS BLOOD HUNGRY DICTATOR IN ICC!!!
    COME ON BRAVE ERITREANS FINISH THIS DRUNKARD MURDERER!! ONLY ONE BRAVE HERO CAN SAVE US FROM EXTINCTION!!!

    • A.A Yassin May 10, 2013

      You are not Eritrean.

      • Yerihiwo May 10, 2013

        AA Yassin or let us say Wedi Medhin Berad or Monkey …why are you responding to every comment? If you are Eritrean like Wedi Medhin Berad, Monkey or Kisha…then I understand you have a big problem!!!!

        This report and comments got you in your dirty mind! I bet you are one of the hard liners with no brain or one of the deki areba (40).

        An Eritrean at least listen and give his own opinion and not respond to every response.

  • Awet May 9, 2013

    I guess it’s official now that Ali E’Bud has deserted the mafia organization. The government of DIA has no obligation to the people of Eritrea, hence, they can’t even hold a press conference and inform it ‘s people.

  • Awet May 9, 2013

    Where is Ali E’Bud? I guess the government supporters can’t denied Ali ‘s aboundening the regime, unless they don’t believe their representative.

  • hmm@hotmail.com May 9, 2013

    It is ironic; the government that kept denying the desertion of its information minister, the fleeing of entire soccer team (multiple times), the mass exodus of its youth in all direction, the recent incursion of Ethiopian forces deep inside its territory has the audacity to call a credible news agency like BCC a liar.

    Opposition forces should man up and start an armed rebellion against PFDJ, all national service members who are fed up with PFDJ thugs will happily join the resistance, I guarantee it!

  • NEW HOPE ERITREA May 10, 2013

    ¨Ambassador Gerahtu is right nobody is forbidden from speaking his /her mind¨

    For once I agree with Ambassador Gerahtu..nobody is forbidden from speaking his mind in Eritrea..you can say whatever you want in Eritrea..but ,they will put you in underground jail if they do not like it…but nobody is putting a zipper in your mouth
    THAT IS FREE SPEECH ERITREAN STYLE .
    And President Isaias did not start to repress Eritreans in 1991 but 1971..so Amnesty should get it´s record straight.

  • Stefanos Temolso May 10, 2013

    I Wonder who we are to trust! No BBC, no CNN, no Reuters, no AFP etc. Does this mean we must only trust ERIV the master of lies and suffocation??? What has been said is just what we know from experience!

    • A.A Yassin May 10, 2013

      “SABA to A.A YASSIN

      A.A. Yassin, i do not trust especially Western media agencies too. ”

      WEDI TEMELSO LEARN FROM SABA AND TRY TO USE YOUR BRAIN. NO ONE ASKS YOU TO DO MORE THAN THAT.

  • Saba May 10, 2013

    Before i used to honour the meaning and work of beeing a government employee e.g. (ambassador,general,minister,soldier etc…)

    But when looking at people representing our beautiful country i start to think so different.

    Look at those funny full of blood washed generals, or those dumb streetguys working as amabassadors,the humiliated ministers and soldiers…

    • samuel May 10, 2013

      Saba!
      you can call them Skunis and Wodinies (Deki ShuK)

      Selam

      • A.A Yassin May 10, 2013

        You are arrogant. Arrogant ab TraH meAkorka!!

        • samuel May 10, 2013

          Do you think that your MeAkor is covered? TesTas!

          Selam

  • Higdef telam May 10, 2013

    I’m the who was in the prison as I was a prisoner the number of amstey register is very small number because we were in 2.5 m to 3m not 33 we were from 40 to 50 and about the container I been 3 month is very cold time at night and very hot in day time all the prisoners were sick just we eat 1 bread and a cup of tea until 12:00 am then 6 o’clock we have diner water and lentils with 2 bread no clinic no meters no sheet or blanket And nobody visit we didn’t day and night and no restroom we use a jerican and we put it in our room so if u r Eritrean and think about ur people that is how they treat us and u know I was As a prisner they gave me 15 days to visit my family and I stay at home30 days because my dad was past away after 6 month I got releas and I scape to etio Sudan Libya europe mexco and fanally I’m living in us a thanks God all those problem bc of HIGDEF

    • A.A Yassin May 10, 2013

      Stay away from crime. If you get arrested in the United States you will curse the day that you were born.

      • tekeste May 13, 2013

        After leaving the earthely hell, he should be safe now.

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