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World
Press Freedom Day - Significance to Eritrea
EHDR-UK -
3 May 2004
When
many countries are commemorating the World Press Freedom Day on May
3,2004, Eritrea will mourn and remember its imprisoned journalists and the
closed independent press. This is another catalogue of the abuse of human
rights in Eritrea.
To
remind the world of what is happening in Eritrea on the issue of press
freedom, the Eritreans for Human and Democratic Rights-UK (EHDR-UK) would
like to list some of the abuses and facts that are currently
underway.
1.
About 15 journalists are still detained, some for 4 years, at undisclosed
places and some are feared dead;
2.
The regime has consistently refused to honour international requests for
the release of journalists and has instead reinforced its monopoly
(national and international);
3.
Foreign correspondents cannot work freely, are not safe from government
attacks and government agents closely monitor them;
4.
Eritrea is reported to have Africa's biggest prison for journalists;
5.
Eritrea is one of the few countries in the world that has no privately
owned news media and there is no alternative media to verify any
information given by the government;
6.
In Africa Eritrea is the only country without an independent media.
We
would like to mention two reference documents to consult when talking
about the abuse of journalists' rights:
1.
The UN General Conference 29th session, Paris, November 1997-Resolutin 29
"condemnation of violence against journalists",
2.
Declaration of Windhoek on promoting an Independent and Pluralistic
African Press, Namibia 1991.
The
issue of journalists and free press in Eritrea is, of course, part of the
larger picture of human rights abuses that are currently underway. It must
be remembered that the country has no constitution and is a police state
with no individual rights for the citizens. When we remember our
journalists, we have to realise that their fate is closely tied up with
the democratisation of the country. In any case, we demand their immediate
release or at least bring them to a court of justice.
Finally,
we appeal to the world community to apply the necessary pressure on the
regime in Eritrea to learn decency and morality in this present day world
and respect basic human rights.
Board
of Directors
Eritreans
for Human and Democratic Rights-UK (EHDR-UK)
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