emma_goldman
2nd November 2006, 00:16
If you're interested in writing a letter to the Eritrean embassy in order to pressure for the release of Fessahayne Yohannes, a man who was wrongfully imprisoned five years ago on September 18, 2001, please contact me. I've reproduced the details of the case below.
Thank you all,
darby
Background:
Fessahaye Yohannes believes in freedom of _expression. In the East African nation of Eritrea, his newspaper and other independent press outlets championed the right to freedom of thought and opinion and provided a forum for critics of the country's increasingly repressive government. The government responded by detaining Fessahaye Yohannes and other leading independent journalists and banning all non-state print media outlets.
Fessahaye Yohannes (pronounced "fess-uh-HIGH yo-HAN-ness"), also known as Joshua, was editor and co-founder of the weekly newspaper Setit, which had at one time the largest circulation of any newspaper in Eritrea. Through its exploration of social issues confronting the country - such as poverty, land and housing concerns, the lack of democracy and justice, and the plight of handicapped war veterans - Setit probed the boundaries of the government's tolerance for alternative viewpoints.
On September 18, 2001, with the world's attention focused on the violent attacks one week earlier in New York and Washington, Eritrean authorities moved swiftly to silence their critics. Police arrested a group of senior officials of the ruling party, whose calls for peaceful political reform had been widely covered by the independent newspapers. The government then shut down all of Eritrea's independent and privately owned newspapers for allegedly "jeopardizing national unity." In the days following, police detained many of the leaders of the independent media.
None of those detained have been taken before a judge, provided legal counsel, or officially charged with an offense. The detained journalists, held now for more than two years, 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.
Civil society is severely constrained in Eritrea. The formation of independent non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is generally not permitted. While the Eritrean Constitution allows for multiple political parties, the democratization process ceased with the onset of Eritrea's 1998-2000 war with Ethiopia. The only political party currently permitted is the ruling People's Front for Democracy and Justice, and no date has been set for the formation of other parties. Even before banning the independent print media in 2001, the government had refused to allow any independent control of radio or television broadcast media.
In addition to his work with Setit, Fessahaye "Joshua" Yohannes, married and the father of three children, is a poet, playwright and a writer of short stories. Amnesty International considers Joshua and the other detained journalists to be prisoners of conscience and seeks their immediate and unconditional release from detention.
Hundreds of political detainees remain held in secret locations in Eritrea without charge or trial. Detainees include former government ministers, journalists, religious believers, military personnel and civil servants. Although Eritrea has signed or ratified several important international and regional human rights instruments, it has failed in practice to abide by these obligations or even its own Constitution. The courts are not independent or effective, and there is no legal redress for arbitrary detention or "disappearance." Human rights abuses are committed by the security forces with total impunity.
The internationally-recognized rights to freedom of _expression, opinion and association are all but absent in Eritrea. Opposition political parties are not permitted, independent newspapers remain banned, faith groups are heavily restricted, independent non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are not allowed, and international human rights NGOs and media are frequently barred from the country.
Thank you all,
darby
Background:
Fessahaye Yohannes believes in freedom of _expression. In the East African nation of Eritrea, his newspaper and other independent press outlets championed the right to freedom of thought and opinion and provided a forum for critics of the country's increasingly repressive government. The government responded by detaining Fessahaye Yohannes and other leading independent journalists and banning all non-state print media outlets.
Fessahaye Yohannes (pronounced "fess-uh-HIGH yo-HAN-ness"), also known as Joshua, was editor and co-founder of the weekly newspaper Setit, which had at one time the largest circulation of any newspaper in Eritrea. Through its exploration of social issues confronting the country - such as poverty, land and housing concerns, the lack of democracy and justice, and the plight of handicapped war veterans - Setit probed the boundaries of the government's tolerance for alternative viewpoints.
On September 18, 2001, with the world's attention focused on the violent attacks one week earlier in New York and Washington, Eritrean authorities moved swiftly to silence their critics. Police arrested a group of senior officials of the ruling party, whose calls for peaceful political reform had been widely covered by the independent newspapers. The government then shut down all of Eritrea's independent and privately owned newspapers for allegedly "jeopardizing national unity." In the days following, police detained many of the leaders of the independent media.
None of those detained have been taken before a judge, provided legal counsel, or officially charged with an offense. The detained journalists, held now for more than two years, 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.
Civil society is severely constrained in Eritrea. The formation of independent non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is generally not permitted. While the Eritrean Constitution allows for multiple political parties, the democratization process ceased with the onset of Eritrea's 1998-2000 war with Ethiopia. The only political party currently permitted is the ruling People's Front for Democracy and Justice, and no date has been set for the formation of other parties. Even before banning the independent print media in 2001, the government had refused to allow any independent control of radio or television broadcast media.
In addition to his work with Setit, Fessahaye "Joshua" Yohannes, married and the father of three children, is a poet, playwright and a writer of short stories. Amnesty International considers Joshua and the other detained journalists to be prisoners of conscience and seeks their immediate and unconditional release from detention.
Hundreds of political detainees remain held in secret locations in Eritrea without charge or trial. Detainees include former government ministers, journalists, religious believers, military personnel and civil servants. Although Eritrea has signed or ratified several important international and regional human rights instruments, it has failed in practice to abide by these obligations or even its own Constitution. The courts are not independent or effective, and there is no legal redress for arbitrary detention or "disappearance." Human rights abuses are committed by the security forces with total impunity.
The internationally-recognized rights to freedom of _expression, opinion and association are all but absent in Eritrea. Opposition political parties are not permitted, independent newspapers remain banned, faith groups are heavily restricted, independent non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are not allowed, and international human rights NGOs and media are frequently barred from the country.