DEATH OF ERITREAN JOURNALIST REMAINS UNCONFIRMED

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000151 SIPDIS SIPDIS LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/13/2017 TAGS: PHUM PGOV KPAO SOCI ER SUBJECT: DEATH OF ERITREAN JOURNALIST REMAINS UNCONFIRMED Classified By: AMB. Scott H. DeLisi for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) On February 8, 2007 Reporters sans Frontieres(RSF) issued a press release claiming Fessehaye "Joshua" Yohannes, an Eritrean journalist detained in September 2001 died in detention on January 11, 2007. According the RSF report, the Government of Eritrea was detaining him along with others arrested during the fall of 2001, including the famous G-11, at a detention facility in Eiraeiro in the Northern Red Sea district of Eritrea. Emboff spoke with a friend of Fessehaye's family and the family at this time has received no official notification from the Government of Eritrea of his death. Without the official notification, the family refuses to believe he has died. ¶2. (U) Fessehaye was a popular journalist in the free press prior to the government crackdown on the media in September ¶2001. The editor of a weekly newspaper, "Setit", he was also a poet and playwright. Often called the "poet of the revolution" he was a well-known Eritrean cultural figure and popular among the people. During his incarceration, he was reportedly a victim of torture and was reportedly treated several times in Asmara hospitals. There were unconfirmed reports in March of 2006 that he, along with other detainees in Eiraeiro, staged a hunger strike. ¶3. (C) Comment: Post will continue to make efforts to uncover more details regarding this report, however, at this time we are unable to provide confirmation of the report of his death. End Comment. DELISI