World’s Press Condemns Jailing of Journalists in Eritrea

Moscow, Russia, 6 June 2006


The Board of the World Association of Newspapers has condemned the continued imprisonment of 15 journalists in Eritrea and has called on the east African nation, where all independent media have been shut down since 2001, to restore freedom of the press and access to information.

"The Eritrean government has refused to provide information on the health, whereabouts, or legal status of the detained journalists. Most have not been formally charged despite having spent five years in detention," said the WAN Board in a resolution issued during the World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum, the global meetings of the world’s press.
The resolution said:
"The Board of the World Association of Newspapers, meeting at the 59th World Newspaper Congress in Moscow, Russia, 4 to 7 June 2006, calls for the release of fifteen journalists in Eritrea.
"Most of the journalists were imprisoned following a government crackdown in 2001 that saw the closure of all independent media outlets and the suspension of civil and political liberties in Eritrea.
"The Eritrean government has refused to provide information on the health, whereabouts, or legal status of the detained journalists. Most have not been formally charged despite having spent five years in detention. Eritrean law stipulates that an individual cannot be detained without charges for more than 30 days.
"The journalists currently imprisoned are: Said Abdulkadir, Saadia Ahmed, Yosuf Mohamed Ali, Saleh Al-Jezaeri, Amanuel Asrat, Temesgen Gebreyesus, Mattewos Habteab, Dawit Habtemichael, Medhanie Haile, Dawit Isaac, Fessahaye Yohannes, Hamid Mohamed Said, Seyoum Tsehaye and Ghebrehiwet Keleta.
"Zemenfes Haile and Selamyinghes Beyene were reportedly sent into the national service for an unspecified period as a punitive measure for their professional activities.
"The detention of these journalists constitutes a clear breach to their right to freedom of expression, which is guaranteed by numerous international conventions, including Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Furthermore, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights considers that ’detention, as punishment for the peaceful expression of an opinion, is one of the most reprehensible ways to enjoin silence and, as a consequence, a grave violation of human rights’.
"The Board of WAN calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the fifteen imprisoned journalists and for President Isaias Afworki to restore all civil and political liberties in Eritrea, including freedom of the press and access to information."
The Paris-based WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry, defends and promotes press freedom world-wide. It represents 18,000 newspapers; its membership includes 73 national newspaper associations, newspapers and newspaper executives in 102 countries, 11 news agencies and nine regional and world-wide press groups.
Inquiries to: Larry Kilman, Director of Communications, WAN, 7 rue Geoffroy St Hilaire, 75005 Paris France. Tel: +33 1 47 42 85 00. Fax: +33 1 47 42 49 48. Mobile: +33 6 10 28 97 36. E-mail: lkilman@wan.asso.fr
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