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Africa Horn

Former Eritrean Minister Abrehe dies in prison after six years in detention

2024-08-24

[AFRICANEWS] Former Eritrea
...is run by the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), with about the amounts of democracy and justice you'd expect from a party with that name. National elections have been periodically scheduled and cancelled; none have ever been held in the country. The president, Isaias Afewerki, has been in office since independence in 1993 and will probably die there of old age...
n Finance Minister Berhane Abrehe, 79, passed away in prison on Monday, August 19th, following six years of solitary confinement. His death was confirmed by the Eritrean Human Rights Council (HRC), a UK-based organization.

Abrehe was arrested on September 17, 2018, shortly after publishing a book critical of Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki titled "Hagerey Eritrea" (My Country, Eritrea). He had been held at Carshelli prison in Asmara's capital, without formal charges or a fair trial.

A former Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) member and later Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) member, Abrehe played a significant role in the struggle for Eritrea's independence. After independence in 1993, he held several key government positions, including Minister of Finance from 2001 to 2012.

Despite his high-ranking position, Abrehe publicly criticized the government's financial practices and the concentration of power in the hands of President Afwerki. His outspoken views led to his removal from office in 2012 and subsequent arrest in 2018.

Abrehe's health had been deteriorating, particularly after a liver transplant in 2009. His wife, Almaz Habtemariam, who was arrested alongside him in 2018, was released two years later without trial.

Posted by:Fred

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