Said Abdelkadir
Journalist
Said Abdelkadir was the editor-in-chief of the Admas newspaper at the time of his arbitrary arrest and imprisonment in September 2001.
His whereabouts and state of health remain unknown, as Eritrean authorities have ignored repeated requests for disclos.
Yousif Mohammed Ali
Journalist
Yousif Mohammed Ali was arbitrarily arrested and detained together with other independent journalists and critical voices, in September 2001.
At the time of his arrest, he was an editor at the independent weekly newspaper, “Tsigenay” (Honey) and worked for the Eritrean Ministry of Information.
Medhanie Haile
Writer, journalist, and translator
Medhanie Haile was the deputy editor of the Keste-Demena Newspaper. At the time of his arbitrary arrest in September 2001, he was a lawyer working for the Eritrean Ministry of Justice.
He wrote articles calling for the establishment of the rule of law in an independent Eritrea. Eritrean authorities have consistently refused to disclose information about Haile’s whereabouts and state of health.
Fessehaye ’Joshua’ Yohannes
Writer, journalist, playwright, poet, lyricist
Fessehaye ‘Joshua’ Yohannes was a co-owner of the independent Setit newspaper. He was arrested on the morning of 23 September 2001 during a massive crackdown by Eritrean security forces between September and October that year, targeting independent journalists and government critics.
Temesgen Ghebreyesus
Journalist, comedian, actor, and photographer
Temesgen Gebreyesus is remembered for his acting, sharp sense of humour, and photography skills. He was arbitrarily arrested in September 2001, along with other journalists, for reporting on the letter by a group of dissenting members of the ruling party, known as the G-15.
Eritrean authorities have consistently refused to disclose his place of detention, or any information about his health and well-being.
Dawit Isaak
Journalist, writer and playwright
Dawit Isaak is a multiple award-winning Swedish-Eritrean journalist and co-owner of Eritrea’s first independent newspaper, Setit.
He was arbitrarily arrested at his home in Asmara on 23 September 2001 and has remained in prison ever since. He was reportedly released briefly on 19 November 2005 for medical reasons but rearrested two days later.
In a 28 March 2023 opinion, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded Isaak was held without legal basis, in retaliation for peacefully exercising freedom of expression, without a fair trial, and on discriminatory grounds. He is believed to be among the few surviving prisoners.
Matheos Habteab
JOURNALIST
Matheos Habteab is a co-founder and editor of the independent weekly newspaper, Mekalih (Echo). Based on credible sources, Habteab was transferred to a prison in the Dahlak Archipelago in late 2008.
He was later returned to Eiraeiro prison camp, where he reportedly died in 2010, as a result of poor health and the appalling conditions in the detention camp.
Idris Said ‘Aba Arre’
WRITER, JOURNALIST AND TRANSLATOR
Idris Said ‘Aba Arre’ was a prominent critic of Eritrea’s mother-tongue education policy. He was arrested after publicly denouncing the earlier arrest and detention of a group of dissenting ruling party politicians.
Months before his arrest, he published his seminal work on mother-tongue education, in which he criticised the government’s post-independence language policy and its negative impact on the majority of the country’s language group
Amanuel Asrat
Journalist, poet, art critic and song writer
Amanuel Asrat is credited with reviving Eritrean poetry in the early 2000s. He founded Saturday’s Supper, a literary platform that inspired arts clubs across Eritrea, and was editor-in-chief and co-founder of Zemen, where he reported on government abuses.
He won national awards, including for The Scourge of War, translated into 16 languages, and received the 2016 Oxfam Novib/PEN Freedom of Expression Award and 2020 PEN Pinter Prize. On 23 September 2001, he was arrested during a crackdown on independent media. He was held at Eiraeiro prison before transfer in 2016 to an unknown facility. His whereabouts remain unknown, and he is believed among the few surviving detainees.
Seyoum Tsehaye
journalist
Seyoum Tsehaye was a freelance journalist at the time of his arbitrary arrest during the September 2001 crackdown on Eritrean independent media and critical voices. He has helped establish Eritrea’s first state TV channel, which he later left due to censorship.
He wrote critical articles on the government’s failure to respect human rights. Shortly before his arrest, he had written an article urging the Eritrean government to engage with the public and promote peace and justice.
Eritrean authorities have ignored repeated requests to disclose Tsehaye’s whereabouts and state of health.
