Dawit Isaac

Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaac was released from prison on November 19th, for two days. He was rearrested on the 21st. What's going on? Apparently, business as usual in Eritrea, where working in the media leaves a person open to all sorts of accusations from the government. Along with Isaac, his colleagues Yusuf MOHAMED ALI, (editor-in-chief, Tsigenay) Mattewos HABTEAB (editor-in-chief, Meqaleh), Dawit HABTEMICHAEL (reporter, Meqaleh), Medhanie HAILE (editor-in-chief, Keste Debena), Emanuel ASRAT (Zemen), Temesken GHEBREYESUS (Keste Debena), Fesshaye YOHANNES "Joshua" (publisher, Setit, playwright and poet), Said ABDELKADER (writer and editor, Admas, and owner of the press that printed most of the independent newspapers) all remain in jail. They have not been tried.

These journalists were arrested in the days following September 23, 2001. They have yet to be sentenced, more than four years later. The detentions came in the wake of the closing down of all eight independent newspapers by the authorities on 18 September 2001 (these include the weeklies Meqaleh, Setit, Tsigenay, Zemen, Wintana and Admas). Since then, only the state newspaper, Hadas Eritrea, has been published.

The most likely explanation for the crackdown is that it was an attempt to stamp out criticism of the Eritrean government’s treatment of students and political dissenters, and its prosecution of the war against Ethiopia. The detained journalists have had their bank accounts frozen and assets confiscated. Their relatives have not been allowed to visit them. During Isaac's brief release from jail, he was not able to speak freely about his experiences.

Want to know more about the situation in Eritrea? Visit PEN Canada...and don't be shy: send a letter of protest to the Eritrean government! Eventually all those small pieces of paper and all those protests can make a difference. (or at least, that's what i want to believe, and i know some Eritreans want to believe it too)