Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ASMARA708
2006-09-01 15:36:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Asmara
Cable title:
AMERICAN BABY DETAINED FOR FOUR NIGHTS IN ERITREAN
how-toVZCZCXYZ0050 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHAE #0708 2441536 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 011536Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY ASMARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8402 INFO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 5952 RUEHDJ/AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI 2838 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1199 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1373 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000708
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR CASC ER
SUBJECT: AMERICAN BABY DETAINED FOR FOUR NIGHTS IN ERITREAN
PRISON
REF: ASMARA 0619
Classified By: CDA Jennifer McIntyre, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000708
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR CASC ER
SUBJECT: AMERICAN BABY DETAINED FOR FOUR NIGHTS IN ERITREAN
PRISON
REF: ASMARA 0619
Classified By: CDA Jennifer McIntyre, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) On August 31, Poloff received an inquiry from an
American citizen father informing post that his two-month old
son and the child,s mother, Senait Solomon, an Eritrean
citizen were being detained in Dekemhare, about 40km from
Asmara. Upon learning of the detention, Poloff contacted the
mother,s employer, UNMEE, and the mother,s family. The
family related that on August 29 at about 1400, two Eritrean
officials in civilian clothing came to the mother,s home and
asked to speak with her. Without informing her why, the
officials told her she needed to come to the Asmara Police
Central Headquarters for questioning. She told them she had
an infant child whom she was breastfeeding, and they agreed
that she could bring the child with her. She departed her
home with one of the men in the Eritrean authorities,
vehicle, and the second man drove her personal vehicle.
Senait,s mother followed them to the police station and saw
Senait,s vehicle there. When she inquired about Senait and
the child, the police told her there was no record of Senait
being at the headquarters.
2) (C) Around 1900, Senait called her mother and told her she
was being held in Dekemhare for an unknown reason. She asked
her mother to come the following day with clothes for herself
and the child. The mother visited Senait and the child on
August 30 providing clothes and food. The mother reported
that she met with Senait in a room with prison officials
constantly present and there was no privacy. On August 31,
the mother returned to Dekemhare to deliver food, however,
she was unable to speak with Senait directly.
3) (C) On August 31, post submitted a diplomatic note to the
GSE Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting permission for
Conoff to visit the child and his mother. GSE regulations
require that the Embassy officers have approval to enter
detention facilities and permission to travel outside of
Asmara. Soon after receiving the diplomatic note the
Director of Protocol called the embassy and said that Senait
had been released from detention and "should be home right
now." When contacted, family members were unaware of any
release. Post tried to contact the MFA duty officer on the
morning of September 1 however no one answered the duty line.
4) (C) In following up with the family, Consular staff
learned that Senait and the child were not released on August
31, as claimed by the Director of Protocol, but that she and
the child returned home in the early afternoon on September
1. Poloff spoke with Senait over the telephone shortly after
her return and she agreed to come into the Consular Section
on September 5 to meet with Poloff.
5) (C) Coincidentally, Charge had a previously planned lunch
on September 1 with the MFA Director General for the
Americas, Girma Asmerom. When she asked for his assistance
and noted the lack of response from the MFA duty number, he
expressed his doubts that the "national security people"
would grant approval, shrugged off the non-availability of
the MFA duty officer as an expected state of affairs and
noted that he could probably get an answer on
Monday(September 4).
6) (U) Comment: The incident reinforces post's concerns
about the consular section's ability to provide full services
to American citizens, particularly outside of Asmara.
Should the situation have continued, post believes the GSE
would not have provided the necessary permissions to visit
the child and mother, and that the GSE would cite the child's
Eritrean citizenship and refuse to recognize his American
citizenship. (REFTEL reports other cases where dual nationals
have experienced problems.) Furthermore, no American Embassy
direct hire staff has been permitted to enter an Eritrean
prison or detention facility in a number of years. With
regards to the mother,s detention, the arrest of Eritreans
without cause and the detention without an explanation is
quite common. There are reports of cases where individuals
have been held indefinitely, in some cases for years, without
ever being charged or convicted of a crime. End Comment.
MCINTYRE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR CASC ER
SUBJECT: AMERICAN BABY DETAINED FOR FOUR NIGHTS IN ERITREAN
PRISON
REF: ASMARA 0619
Classified By: CDA Jennifer McIntyre, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) On August 31, Poloff received an inquiry from an
American citizen father informing post that his two-month old
son and the child,s mother, Senait Solomon, an Eritrean
citizen were being detained in Dekemhare, about 40km from
Asmara. Upon learning of the detention, Poloff contacted the
mother,s employer, UNMEE, and the mother,s family. The
family related that on August 29 at about 1400, two Eritrean
officials in civilian clothing came to the mother,s home and
asked to speak with her. Without informing her why, the
officials told her she needed to come to the Asmara Police
Central Headquarters for questioning. She told them she had
an infant child whom she was breastfeeding, and they agreed
that she could bring the child with her. She departed her
home with one of the men in the Eritrean authorities,
vehicle, and the second man drove her personal vehicle.
Senait,s mother followed them to the police station and saw
Senait,s vehicle there. When she inquired about Senait and
the child, the police told her there was no record of Senait
being at the headquarters.
2) (C) Around 1900, Senait called her mother and told her she
was being held in Dekemhare for an unknown reason. She asked
her mother to come the following day with clothes for herself
and the child. The mother visited Senait and the child on
August 30 providing clothes and food. The mother reported
that she met with Senait in a room with prison officials
constantly present and there was no privacy. On August 31,
the mother returned to Dekemhare to deliver food, however,
she was unable to speak with Senait directly.
3) (C) On August 31, post submitted a diplomatic note to the
GSE Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting permission for
Conoff to visit the child and his mother. GSE regulations
require that the Embassy officers have approval to enter
detention facilities and permission to travel outside of
Asmara. Soon after receiving the diplomatic note the
Director of Protocol called the embassy and said that Senait
had been released from detention and "should be home right
now." When contacted, family members were unaware of any
release. Post tried to contact the MFA duty officer on the
morning of September 1 however no one answered the duty line.
4) (C) In following up with the family, Consular staff
learned that Senait and the child were not released on August
31, as claimed by the Director of Protocol, but that she and
the child returned home in the early afternoon on September
1. Poloff spoke with Senait over the telephone shortly after
her return and she agreed to come into the Consular Section
on September 5 to meet with Poloff.
5) (C) Coincidentally, Charge had a previously planned lunch
on September 1 with the MFA Director General for the
Americas, Girma Asmerom. When she asked for his assistance
and noted the lack of response from the MFA duty number, he
expressed his doubts that the "national security people"
would grant approval, shrugged off the non-availability of
the MFA duty officer as an expected state of affairs and
noted that he could probably get an answer on
Monday(September 4).
6) (U) Comment: The incident reinforces post's concerns
about the consular section's ability to provide full services
to American citizens, particularly outside of Asmara.
Should the situation have continued, post believes the GSE
would not have provided the necessary permissions to visit
the child and mother, and that the GSE would cite the child's
Eritrean citizenship and refuse to recognize his American
citizenship. (REFTEL reports other cases where dual nationals
have experienced problems.) Furthermore, no American Embassy
direct hire staff has been permitted to enter an Eritrean
prison or detention facility in a number of years. With
regards to the mother,s detention, the arrest of Eritreans
without cause and the detention without an explanation is
quite common. There are reports of cases where individuals
have been held indefinitely, in some cases for years, without
ever being charged or convicted of a crime. End Comment.
MCINTYRE