Former Eritrea finance minister of finance Mr Berhane Abrehe. PHOTO/COURTESY
By AGENCIES
The Eritrean Law Society has joined the furore towards the Eritrean Government to release detained former finance minister of finance Mr Berhane Abrehe. The Eritrea Law Society applied and secured a grant of Provisional Measures, delivered by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Through this grant the Eritrean law society and the African Commission has adopted Provisional Measures, requesting the State of Eritrea to:
End the incommunicado detention of the victim by disclosing his location, providing him with access to legal representation and unhindered access to his family
Inform the victim of the reason for his arrest, and bring him before a competent court of law within the shortest possible time, or alternatively if no charges are brought against the victim, to ensure his immediate release. The Eritrean state should provide Mr Berhane with regular and unhindered necessary access to medical and health care and guarantee Mr Berhane’s safety and well-being while in custody.
The Africa Commission Provisional Measures was communicated to President Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea office in a letter dated 29 October 2018, with reference number: ACHPR/PROVM/ERI/704/18/1689/18.
Speaking from Sweden, Mussie Ephrem a lawyer and member of the law society of Eritrea says ‘This proves again the credibility of the regional human rights instrument we have in the continent. This is the new Africa where rule of law is the future’.
On September 13th 2018, a number of former and exiled Eritrean leaders issued a joint statement of support for Mr Berhane Abrehe saying, ‘We, the undersigned exiled members of the Eritrean National Assembly, would like to express our strong support to the courageous act taken by our colleague, Ato Berhane Abrehe Kidane, the former Minister of Finance, against the dictatorial regime of Ato Isaias Afwerki.
They included AMB. ADHANOM GHEBREMARIAM, AMB. ANDEBRHAN WELDE, GIORGIS ATO, MESFIN HAGOS, ATO MOHAMED, BERHAN BLATA, ATO MOHIADIN, ABUBAKER SHENGEB,
In a recent message, Ato Berhane Abrehe has outlined a process in which Ato Isaias Afwerki would surrender power to the Eritrean National Assembly in a “peaceful, legal, civilized and Eritrean manner.” We strongly support the call to end the reign of tyranny, hand power to the people and bestow legitimacy on the Government of the State of Eritrea.
The Eritrean office of the president is yet to reply and has remained silent on this matter and requests for comments on the matter from the president press secretary has been futile.
In a recent interview with Eri-tv President Isaias Afwerki only made comments on the lost 25 years of isolation and the need for cooperation with the African Union saying ‘Without going too far, if we look at our region–Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti–if we can create cooperative relationship, the tense situation would give way to joint infrastructure based on co-operation and mutual respect’.
