Short History of Veteran Mr. Mewail Mebrahtu
09.11.1933 – 06.17.2014
Mr. Mewail Mebrahtu was born to Dejazmach Mebrahtu Gubesa and Mrs. Hagosa Ghebremariam in the city of Keren. He had one brother, Kegnazmach Abraha Mebrahtu and two sisters Kebedesh and Hibab. Mr. Mewail was educated in the capital Asmara, and went to Bet-Ghiorgis School. Upon successful completion of his school, he started his professional career as a schoolteacher in Asmara. He continued teaching until his transfer to Mendefera, and he was known for striving to be a stellar example and building up his students. His unmatched love for his country was manifested as he used the Adulis Soccer Club, which he was a member of, to organize national and political affairs. In 1959 he became a member of the Eritrean liberation movement (Mahber Shew’ate, Hareka). This was the beginning of a young man’s journey to fight for the freedom of his beloved country.
In the late ‘50s, Mr. Mewail finished his study of law and began working as an attorney. He constantly provided pro bono services to free the Eritrean youth who were imprisoned due to the unstable political atmosphere of the country at that time. This wasn’t always a walk in the park. Especially in the case of the political prisoners from Massawa, where every known lawyer at that time refrained from representing these tortured prisoners, due to fear of political retaliation and imprisonment. For Mr. Mewail, that wasn’t the case, he saw it as a calling to save his countrymen by representing them in the court of law.
He did this against the advice of friends and professional acquaintances. Mr. Mewail not only freely represented the Massawa prisoners, who were consequently freed, but also successfully sued and brought to justice all those responsible for torturing the prisoners. This heroic act didn’t go unnoticed by the then colonial administrators. As a matter of fact they tried to use every loophole to arrest him. Thanks to influential family members, he was able to continue his work as a free man. He was elected as District Attorney of Asmara, and shortly thereafter he became Attorney General for Kagnew Station. While serving in this capacity, he was assisting and representing his fellow Eritrean farmers, whose farms and lands were at times used as access points to get to radio and power poles.
Mr. Mewail won the farmers a more than fair compensation and continued to represent the underprivileged and oppressed segment of society for eight years from 1962-1970. He was elected to the Ethiopian Congress as a member of the Ethiopian Parliament in the early ‘70s, and served there for four years. It was during this time the Ethiopian army burned 19 villages; they murdered pregnant women, children and elders, and—ultimately—left a bloody mark on the lowlands of Eritrea. Mr. Mewail mastered up courage, and gave a speech in the parliament on the genocide that was committed by the Ethiopian forces. Una and Beskedira were the two areas most affected by that tragic event. Sadly, not a single person was brought to justice.
Because he brought the atrocity that was committed by the Ethiopian soldiers to light on the floor of parliament, his punishment was to work for an entire year without pay. There were also deliberate plots and schemes at play to ensure that he wouldn’t run for re-election and win any future campaigns. After serving as a member of the Ethiopian parliament, and once the regime of Haile Selassie was ousted and replaced by the Dergue, he was working as a member of the Inquiry Commission. Once the task assigned to the transitional committee was completed, he continued his work as a member of the Special Inquiry. Taking advantage of this unique position and opportunity, Mr. Mewail re-opened the investigation on the atrocities committed in Una and Beskedira, and, consequently, was able to successfully bring the criminal commanders of the previous regime to court.
After successfully accomplishing the aforementioned achievements, and participating in the armed struggle waged by the Eritreans through his enlistment in the ELF, he continued to contribute to the revolution by serving at the court of the city of Aqurdet after it was liberated by the ELF. Not long after, just like the thousands of Eritreans heading into exile, Mr. Mewail migrated to the United States by way of Sudan. His colleagues have always loved and admired him. He was, indeed, a man of wisdom and immense expertise. One of the testaments to this aspect of his character was manifested when he struggled and managed to secure governmental assistance to Eritrean residents in San Diego. Mr. Mewail, in collaboration with some of his fellow compatriots, founded the first Eritrean Community Services in San Diego. He drafted the bylaws and was the very first person to serve as chairman of the organization.
After the independence of Eritrea, there was a strong belief that the nation must be governed by rule of law, and that Eritreans who studied law should be involved in the drafting of the nation’s constitution. To help bring this to fruition, he drafted a constitution and submitted it to the Constitution Commission for consideration. Mr. Mewail gave life to heroes Qesar and Mulugeta. And while his sons accomplished heroic deeds, he himself has forever advocated on behalf of the nation.
Mr. Mewail Mebrahtu is a man of determination hailing from a lineage of great perseverance. We express tremendous gratitude to his immensely and relentlessly dedicated wife, Mrs. Rozina Abraha, his daughter Argehie, his son Nisri, and specially his strong and persevering daughter Agazit; they are a family that is a quintessential example of cultural pride and familial love. We wish them all the blessings beautiful and great deeds bring.
We express our deep gratitude to all who have called from faraway places with messages of condolences, and to those who have trekked from far and wide to be with us as we bid Mr. Mewail farewell. May he rest in eternal peace! Brothers, Sisters, and Friends from San Diego June 21, 2014