Politics

Eiraeiro: The Notorious Secret Prison Holding Eritrea's Political Prisoners

BBC · last week · Read the Full Story on BBC

AI SUMMARY

Eiraeiro is a secret, high-security Eritrean prison where former liberation fighters, high-ranking officials known as the G-15, and journalists have been detained without trial or formal charges for 25 years.

Eiraeiro is a clandestine prison in the Northern Red Sea lowlands of Eritrea.
It holds former liberation fighters, senior government officials, and journalists who demanded constitutional reform and a democratic transition of power.
The detained officials, known as the Group of 15 (G-15), were arrested on September 18, 2001, after publishing an open letter.
Twelve journalists and writers were arrested alongside the G-15 members during the same period.
The prisoners have been held for a quarter-century without appearing in court, facing formal charges, or knowing their exact whereabouts.
The site was previously known as the Awihitet holding center during the armed struggle for independence.
The political crisis began when President Isaias Afwerki rejected demands from top officials regarding the handling of the border war with Ethiopia, delayed constitution, and lack of accountability.
G-15 members were initially held at Embattkala prison before being transferred to Eiraeiro in June 2001.
The Eritrean government has not publicly presented detailed charges or official information regarding the status, survival, or deaths of the prisoners.
Eiraeiro consists of 61 individual cells across three compounds, measuring 3.5 by 2.6 meters externally.
Former guard Eyob Bahta reported that inmates were kept in solitary confinement with their hands shackled, allowed only one hour of sunlight daily, and identified by number codes.
Former journalist Berhane Gebretensae and former fighter Mogos Berhane stated that the remote, scorching lowland location with temperatures reaching 45 degrees Celsius was deliberately chosen to maximize the prisoners' suffering and prevent rescue.

Read the Full Story on BBC

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