Eritrean journalist’s case referred to African rights panel

[Elisabeth Janaina]

Eritrean journalist’s case referred to African rights panel

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By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

October 30 2012 (ADDIS ABABA) - European jurists have brought the
cases of long imprisoned Swedish-Eritrean journalist and activist,
Dawit Isaac to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
(ACHPR).


According to Reporters Without Borders, Jesús Alcalá, Percy Bratt and
Prisca Orsonneau referred the cases of the journalist to ACHPR on 27
October, a day that marks his 12 year imprisonment without trial in an
Eritrean prison.

The Red Sea nation has in the past affirmed that its own court system
is independent and could legally handle the case of Dawit Isaac and
other journalists who have remain languishing in the country’s harsh
detention facilities for over a decade.

The latest move by the European Jurists was in response to Eritrea’s
court failure to respect and exercise the civil right to obtain a writ
of habeas corpus as protection against illegal and arbitrary
imprisonment.

“Eritrea will now be forced to an embarrassing process before the
African Commission for failing to writ of habeas corpus” said the
Paris-based watchdog while welcoming the initiatives taken by the
European jurists.

Reporters Without Borders noted that the imprisonment of Dawit Isaac
runs counter to both Eritrean law and several African and
international conventions.

Based in Gambia, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
(ACHPR) protects and promotes human rights within the African Union
under the framework of the rights guaranteed by the African Charter on
Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Accordingly, the Commission among others decides whether alleged human
rights abuses that violate the Charter were committed and further
investigates human rights violations through fact-finding missions.

After Ethiopia last month pardoned and released two Swedish
journalists Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye - who were accused of
terrorism related charges - Swedish foreign minister, Carl Bildt, said
that the his government is working to free Dawit Isaak.

The Swedish government said Isaak’s case was not only priority to the
Swedish government but also priority within the EU, which has made
repeated calls for his release.

Isaak, who is a 48 and married with three children, was imprisoned by
the Eritrean authorities in 2001 after publishing articles that were
critical of the Eritrean regime, particularly calling for democratic
reforms in one of the most repressive nations of the world.

He then published his articles in one of the country’s first
independent newspapers, Setit, which he co-founded. the newspaper was
closed-down when the government cracked down on independent press
outlets, arresting dozens of prominent journalists and dissidents.

Since his imprisonment 12 years ago, many of Isaac’s colleagues have
died in prison. In August Reporters Without Borders reported that
three more journalists had perished in Eritrean prisons.

In October 2011 there were rumors that Issak had died in prison.

Last year Dawit Isaac was awarded the 2011 Golden Pen of Freedom, a
distinction presented by the World Association of Newspapers and News
Publishers (WAN-IFRA) for his commitment to press freedom, democratic
reforms and civil liberties.

International press and human rights groups label the tiny Red Sea
nation as one of the world’s top press freedom violators and Africa’s
leading jailer of journalists.

Currently there are at least 30 Eritrean journalists are imprisoned
facing inhuman and ill treatment on a daily bases, according to human
rights groups.

(ST)