Former Eritrean finance minister dies in jail

By Hassan Isilow

Eritrea's former finance minister has died in jail after nearly six years of imprisonment, according to a rights group.

"Mr. (Berhane) Abrehe's death in custody raises grave concerns about the treatment of political prisoners," Human Rights Concern Eritrea (HRCE), an independent rights group based in the UK, said late on Thursday.

Abrehe, 79, a former veteran of Eritrea's war for independence against neighboring Ethiopia, was removed as finance minister in 2012 after falling out with President Isaias Afwerki.

The HRCE said Abrehe had been detained incommunicado without due process since Sept. 17, 2018, following the publication of a book critical of Afwerki and his government.

Abrehe, who held several prominent government positions, called for democratic reforms and transparency in the country’s budget in his book.

The rights group said his detention underscored the continued suppression of freedom of expression and human rights in the Horn of Africa nation.

"His arrest and incommunicado imprisonment constituted a clear violation of his fundamental rights," it stated.

The rights group called on the international community to demand accountability through an independent investigation into the circumstances that led to Abrehe's death and to continue pressing the Eritrean government to uphold human rights and the rule of law.

The Eritrean government is yet to comment on the issue.