Petition to Free Eritrean Journalist Fesshaye "Joshua" Yohannes
| I support of the Committee to Protect
Journalists, an independent nonprofit organization that works to safeguard
press freedom worldwide, in its campaign to free independent Eritrean
journalist Fesshaye Yohannes, who is currently being detained incommunicado. Fesshaye was arrested on September 27, 2001 for covering a dispute among members of Eritrea's government about how the counttry should be governed. More than a year later, Fesshaye has still not been charged with any crime. Meanwhile, his independent newspaper, Setit, has been banned. Seventeen other Eritrean journalists are also being held incommunicado, and all other independent publications have been banned. Their continued detention belies Eritrea's committment to Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I call on you to release Fesshaye Yohannes and other jailed Eritrean
journalists immmediately and unconditionally, and to uphold the
right of all journalists to work freely and safely. |
Read War and Words, a report by Yves Sorokobi on the perils of practicing journalism in the Horn of Africa (from Dangerous Assignments, Fall 2002.)
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