Comments on: Swedish journalist behind bars in Eritrea for 1313 days http://blog.newspaperindex.com/2005/04/28/swedish-citizen-behind-bars-in-eritrea-for-1313-days/ About newspapers and freedom of the written word Fri, 16 May 2008 03:39:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.1 by: Newspaperindex - the blog | Newspapers of the world, media, free speech and update on the newspaper catalogue Newspaper Index » Eritrea releases Swedish journalist after four years http://blog.newspaperindex.com/2005/04/28/swedish-citizen-behind-bars-in-eritrea-for-1313-days/#comment-1617 Tue, 22 Nov 2005 09:47:11 +0000 http://blog.newspaperindex.com/2005/04/28/swedish-citizen-behind-bars-in-eritrea-for-1313-days/#comment-1617 [...] Eritrean authorities have released a journalist whom they held for four years while 12 others still remain in custody, the Paris-based Reporters without Borders (RSF) said in a statement on Saturday. Dawit Isaac, 41, an Eritrean who also took Swedish citizenship in the 1980s and the proprietor of the former weekly Setit, was one of ten newspaper owners, editors and journalists accused without evidence of being Ethiopian ‘traitors’ and ’spies’ by the government, the statement said. Earlier this year, RSF accused Eritrea of violations of press freedom, ranking it 166th out of 167 countries in its annual report. (AFP, The Local,November 22, 2005) [...] […] Eritrean authorities have released a journalist whom they held for four years while 12 others still remain in custody, the Paris-based Reporters without Borders (RSF) said in a statement on Saturday. Dawit Isaac, 41, an Eritrean who also took Swedish citizenship in the 1980s and the proprietor of the former weekly Setit, was one of ten newspaper owners, editors and journalists accused without evidence of being Ethiopian ‘traitors’ and ’spies’ by the government, the statement said. Earlier this year, RSF accused Eritrea of violations of press freedom, ranking it 166th out of 167 countries in its annual report. (AFP, The Local,November 22, 2005) […]

]]> by: Merhawie Woldezion http://blog.newspaperindex.com/2005/04/28/swedish-citizen-behind-bars-in-eritrea-for-1313-days/#comment-279 Tue, 19 Jul 2005 21:51:30 +0000 http://blog.newspaperindex.com/2005/04/28/swedish-citizen-behind-bars-in-eritrea-for-1313-days/#comment-279 Firstly I apologize for the delay in my counter response Mr. Hans Henrik Lichtenberg. Secondly, the basis of your first claim, 'corruption' is surprising to me. Eritrea is consistently praised by almost all quarters as being almost free of corruption. In fact, in Eritrea we have a special court to deal with corruption. Thirdly, it is incorrect to say that there are political arrests. The assumption that there are politically motivated arrests stems from the fact that almost every branch of the Eritrean government does a very poor job at information distribution. If one can get interviews with very busy members of the Eritrean government, it becomes abundantly clear what the 'political detainees' are being held for, justly I must say. Fourthly, I do agree with you that we have some problems with human rights. Though the offenses the government commits in this arena are, in my certainly less than expert opinion, caused by a lack of funds and not a policy to commit the transgressions. Fifthly, and I will be brief, I must also disagree with your assertion that freedom of speech is supressed. I in fact have first hand knowledge of this. You can reference my interview on Eri-TV on Tuesday 12 July 2005. There was not any editing of the content of the interview and no pre-coaching. In conclusion I am of the opinion that poverty in impovershed countries is caused more by American and European trade polices as well as Chinese export policy. More specifically in Eritrea it has been caused the effects of British post-colonial administration as well as the internationally condoned illegal occupation by Ethiopia. Thank you for your time and I apologize for the length. Firstly I apologize for the delay in my counter response Mr. Hans Henrik Lichtenberg.

Secondly, the basis of your first claim, ‘corruption’ is surprising to me. Eritrea is consistently praised by almost all quarters as being almost free of corruption. In fact, in Eritrea we have a special court to deal with corruption.

Thirdly, it is incorrect to say that there are political arrests. The assumption that there are politically motivated arrests stems from the fact that almost every branch of the Eritrean government does a very poor job at information distribution. If one can get interviews with very busy members of the Eritrean government, it becomes abundantly clear what the ‘political detainees’ are being held for, justly I must say.

Fourthly, I do agree with you that we have some problems with human rights. Though the offenses the government commits in this arena are, in my certainly less than expert opinion, caused by a lack of funds and not a policy to commit the transgressions.

Fifthly, and I will be brief, I must also disagree with your assertion that freedom of speech is supressed. I in fact have first hand knowledge of this. You can reference my interview on Eri-TV on Tuesday 12 July 2005. There was not any editing of the content of the interview and no pre-coaching.

In conclusion I am of the opinion that poverty in impovershed countries is caused more by American and European trade polices as well as Chinese export policy. More specifically in Eritrea it has been caused the effects of British post-colonial administration as well as the internationally condoned illegal occupation by Ethiopia.

Thank you for your time and I apologize for the length.

]]> by: Hans Henrik Lichtenberg http://blog.newspaperindex.com/2005/04/28/swedish-citizen-behind-bars-in-eritrea-for-1313-days/#comment-200 Thu, 09 Jun 2005 20:50:58 +0000 http://blog.newspaperindex.com/2005/04/28/swedish-citizen-behind-bars-in-eritrea-for-1313-days/#comment-200 Thanks for your comment. Of course Dawit is bound by the law in the country where he resides. We agree on this point. The point is that the laws in Eritrea are handled in a very bad way. Coruption and political arrests happens often and human rights and free speech are suppressed. This is, in my point of view, the primary reason why Eritrea and many other countries are so deep down in poverty. Thanks for your comment. Of course Dawit is bound by the law in the country where he resides. We agree on this point.

The point is that the laws in Eritrea are handled in a very bad way. Coruption and political arrests happens often and human rights and free speech are suppressed. This is, in my point of view, the primary reason why Eritrea and many other countries are so deep down in poverty.

]]> by: Merhawie Woldezion http://blog.newspaperindex.com/2005/04/28/swedish-citizen-behind-bars-in-eritrea-for-1313-days/#comment-199 Thu, 09 Jun 2005 20:17:03 +0000 http://blog.newspaperindex.com/2005/04/28/swedish-citizen-behind-bars-in-eritrea-for-1313-days/#comment-199 Though I understand your concern, recall that Dawit is also an Eritrean citizen and especially while in his country must obey its laws. Sweden has no extradition treaty of its own and if it did, would likely have to face the fact that many terrorists who have been called to trial in Eritrea live there. Many complain the rule of law is not followed, it seems when it is there are calls for it to stop. Though I understand your concern, recall that Dawit is also an Eritrean citizen and especially while in his country must obey its laws.

Sweden has no extradition treaty of its own and if it did, would likely have to face the fact that many terrorists who have been called to trial in Eritrea live there.

Many complain the rule of law is not followed, it seems when it is there are calls for it to stop.

]]> by: Hans Henrik Lichtenberg http://blog.newspaperindex.com/2005/04/28/swedish-citizen-behind-bars-in-eritrea-for-1313-days/#comment-123 Mon, 02 May 2005 13:31:30 +0000 http://blog.newspaperindex.com/2005/04/28/swedish-citizen-behind-bars-in-eritrea-for-1313-days/#comment-123 Thanks for correcting me! You are right. I saw the story on the frontpage of ifj.org and pressumed it was breaking news. Dont worry about the swedish, I am sure that a lot of the enlightened readers of this blog understand scandinavian perfectly :- Thanks for correcting me! You are right. I saw the story on the frontpage of ifj.org and pressumed it was breaking news.

Dont worry about the swedish, I am sure that a lot of the enlightened readers of this blog understand scandinavian perfectly :-

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