Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ASMARA849
2007-10-26 08:25:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Asmara
Cable title:  

AFP REPORTER "FROZEN" FOR MENTIONING GSE

Tags:  PHUM PGOV KPAO ASEC ER 
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VZCZCXRO9958
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHAE #0849 2990825
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 260825Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY ASMARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9207
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1481
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1657
RUEPADJ/CJTF-HOA J2X CAMP LEMONIER DJ
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000849 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2017
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KPAO ASEC ER
SUBJECT: AFP REPORTER "FROZEN" FOR MENTIONING GSE
SURVEILLANCE IN ARTICLE

REF: A. A) 00821 ASMARA

B. B) 00838 ASMARA

Classified By: CDA Jennifer A. McIntyre, for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000849

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2017
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KPAO ASEC ER
SUBJECT: AFP REPORTER "FROZEN" FOR MENTIONING GSE
SURVEILLANCE IN ARTICLE

REF: A. A) 00821 ASMARA

B. B) 00838 ASMARA

Classified By: CDA Jennifer A. McIntyre, for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).


1. (C) Days after Reporters without Borders (RSF) declared
Eritrea the worst country in the world for press freedom, the
Government of the State of Eritrea (GSE) "froze" Agence
France-Presse (AFP) stringer and British Citizen Peter
Martell, forbidding him from filing stories from Eritrea.
Initially, Martell believed the GSE had "frozen" him based on
his October 16 story about the placement of Eritrea on the
bottom of RSF press freedom index. However, the same day, he
also filed a story regarding the assassination attempt on
Colonel Simon Ghebredengel (reftels A and B). In this second
story, Martell referred to allegations that the Eritrean
National Security Agency (ANS) was conducting activities
"believed to include the tapping telephone conversations as
well as managing a wide network of informers." According to
Martell, he was called into the GSE's Ministry of Information
(MOI) and ordered to show him all of his past filings from
Eritrea. He was told that to be allowed to report again from
Asmara, he would have to provide the MOI with a letter
explaining how he knew the ANS engaged in telephone
surveillance activities. The regional AFP office provided
this written response, noting that the sentence in Martell's
article referred to common speculation and did not claim
outright that the GSE was actually conducting these
activities. Despite the submission of this letter, Martell
continues to wait for a response from the GSE about his
status in Eritrea.


2. (C) Comment: The "freezing" of the international
stringers is common practice in Eritrea. In the past the GSE
has "frozen" - and even declared persona non grata -
international journalists after they have filed stories
unfavorable to the GSE. This is the first time that Martell,
who has been reporting from Eritrea for nearly a year, has
been "frozen". The other international stringer, an American
citizen writing for Reuters, remains able to file stories.
The previous Reuters/BBC reporter, who was in Eritrea from
January 2004 to June 2006, was "frozen" at least three times
during his tenure, the last incident occurring during his
final five weeks in Eritrea, in which the GSE would not let
him report but also refused to let him leave the country.
Routine surveillance by the ANS is an accepted fact among the
diplomatic, ex-patriot and Eritrean communities. With this
act, the GSE shows again why it deserves its ranking at the
bottom of the RSF press freedom index. End Comment.
MCINTYRE