Eritrea – Africa’s biggest prison for journalists

PARIS, France, May 3, 2004 (PANA) — Eritrea is the biggest prison for journalists in Africa and it is the only country with no private press in the world, Reporters Sans Frontieres said in its 2003 report issued Monday in Paris on the occasion of the 14th World Press Freedom Day.

With 14 imprisoned journalists, Eritrea is the third biggest country prison for journalists in the world, after Cuba (29) and China (27) and ahead of Iran (12) and Burma (11).

The situation in Eritrea is “unique” in the whole world because on 18 September 2001, the government ordered the closing of all privately owned newspapers and the imprisonment of senior journalists, the media rights group explained.

It added that Eritreans have, since then, been receiving information only from the official press and a few foreign radio stations with poor signal reaching the country.

In spite of the pressure exerted by the international community or western governments and the protests of human rights organisations, nothing has softened the positions of Eritrean President Issaias Afeworki, the RSF report bemoaned.

RSF said it was worried about the government’s declaration that the imprisoned journalists were “traitors” and “spies in the pay of enemies,” two charges that could lead to the death penalty in the country.