Brief information on some prisoners who died in the PFDJ prisons in the 2000s due to torture and medical negligency, or executed unofficially in the 1970s by the EPLF's security forces
Fessshaye Yohannes
Reporter and co-founder of the newspaper, Setit
Arrested September 2001
Died: January 2007
Place :Eiraeiro prison camp
Caused of death: torture, climactic condition and medical negligency
Medhanie
Assistant chief editor and co-founder of the newspaper, Keste Debena
Arrested September 2001
Died: Februrary 2004
Place: Eiraeiro prison camp
Caused of death: torture, climactic condition and medical negligency
Yusuf Mohammed
Chief editor of the newspaper, Tsigenay
Arrested September 2001
Died: June 13,2006
Place: Eiraerio prison camp
Caused of death: torture, climactic condition and medical negligency
Said Abdulkader
Chief editor of the newspaper, Admas
Arrested September 2001
Died: March 14, 2004
Place: Eiraerio prison camp
Caused of death: torture, climactic condition and medical negligency
Salih Kekiya
Ministry of Transport
Arrested September 2001
Died: June 9, 2003
Place: Eiraerio prison camp
Caused of death: torture, climactic condition and medical negligency
Astier Fissehatsion
Director in the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
Arrested September 2001
Died: June 13, 2003
Place: Eiraerio prison camp
Caused of death: torture, climactic condition and medical negligency
Yirga Yosief
Students at the University of Asmara
Arrested August 10, 2001
Died: August 14, 2001
Place:Wia detention camp
Caused of death:heatstroke
Mamad Hamid Mamad
Head of the Arabic (Middle East) Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Arrested September 2001
Died: 2006
Place: Eiraerio prison camp
Caused of death: torture, climactic condition and medical negligency
Mohmud Sherifo
Former Vice-President
Arrested September 2001
Died: June 6, 2003
Place: Eiraerio prison camp
Caused of death: torture, climactic condition and medical negligency
Ogbe Abraha
Formerly Chief of Staff of the Defence Force
Arrested September 2001
Died: July 13, 2002
Place: Imbatkala
Caused : Attempted commit suicide( tried to cut his throat, but they caught him and took him secretly to the Armed Forces Hospital where he was medicated for two days and returned to Imbatkala. After suffering for long he died on July 13, 2002
Solomon Wolde-Mariam
Key EPLF leader between 1970-1977
Imprisoned at Geuet , Hishkeb and other places in Shale area between 1979-1988
Excuted ca1988 at Hishkeb
Tewolde Eyob
EPLF leader between 1970-1977
Imprisoned at Gerger, Arag and other places in Shale area between 1976-1980
Excuted ca1980 at Arag
Further information. According to Mengisteab (50, 2005) that Teklay Aden, an EPLF security chief who defected to the Ethiopian regime in 1981, revealed that three thousand fighters were physically liquidated by the Front between the start of the internal power struggle(1973) and the time of his defection(1980). Mengisteab added that one source said that the number of fighters physically eliminated by the Front between 1973 and the liberation of Eritrea in 1991, could range between three thousand and five thousand, if those fighters who disappeared under mysterious circumstances are included. However, Solomon Woldemariam, who was in the EPLF leadership from 1971-1977, suggested that the number was much larger. Solomon added that around one thousand fighters who participated in the Menka movement were rehabilitated after undergoing serious political indoctrination and self-criticism( Mengiseab, 49: 2005). Furthermore Sherman(64) mentioned that in 1976 perhaps as many as 200 young EPLF intellectuals were arrested. Many were executed for “radicalism” for following an alleged Maoist line. This was when Goitom Berhe and his groups tried to form an underground movement called 'the Eritrean Revolutionary Party' in 1975/1976. During this period the party translated a number of Marxist works to Tigrigna (eg Dialectical Materialism, Four Essays of Philosophy, About the Proletariat Party) . All the literature was then collected and burnt. The suspected ring-leaders of the anti-Essayas movement of progressives were arrested and later executed. Source
Prisoners who executed unofficially in the 1970s and 1980s by the EPLF's security force
Brief information on ten ELF fighters executed in Dankalia by ELF in 1978
Prisoners Death Records[2000s]