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Aster Yohannes
by Habtom Yohannes 09/2021 ·
LEST WE FORGET THEM, our prisoners of concience, our brothers, sisters, our fathers, our mothers, our daughters, our sons, our religious leaders. Lest we forget them! This season is the season of new year and celebrations; but not for the countless prisoners of conscience in Eritrea. Not for their family members. Day and night, now for 10, 13, 15 or more years, they have been surviving like half-dead. They can't sleep normally, they can't eat normally, they can't live normally. Where is my daughter? Where is my son? Where is my father? Where is my mother? Where is my sister? Where is my brother? In what conditions are they in? Are they still alive?
The regime has deleted the prisoners of conscience from historical audio-visual archives. The regime tells us: "we don't know them!" "They have never existed", "How can the Eritrean regime of PFDJ tell you where they are, if the regime doesn't know who these people are". These have been the reactions of the regime. What is ours? If we don't dare to ask about these Eritreans, if we don't act and stand up for them, then we are worse than the dead. No excuses... Imagine if you were one of them, if your father was one of them, if your mother was one of them, if your brother was one of them, if your sister was one of them, if your sone was one of them, if your daughter was one of them; would you keep quite and forget them? Imagine celebrating the birthday of your parents (see picture) in their absence, not knowing whether they are alive or not? How would you feel if it befalls you? If you were one of them? But you are one of them, open yourself and feel it!
Petros Solomon (jailed): Petros joined the liberation front in 1972. He was a close colleague of Isaias Afewerki, former rebel leader, now president of the State of Eritrea. From 1977 until the end of the Eritrean War of Independence (1991), he served as the head of military intelligence “72” for the EPLF . After independence he served Eritrea in various ministerial positions; among others: Defence Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs till hid demotion to serve as Minister of Fisheries. He was a beloved tegadalay, fighter. Aster Yohannes (jailed):
Aster Yohannes was in her 2nd year of an Electrical Engineering degree at Addis Ababa University when she decided to join the Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front (EPLF) in 1979. After the 6 months of military training, she was assigned to work behind the lines till 1986 she joined the haylitat (combatant forces). Three years later she married Petros Solomon (see above) who was one of the influential members of the front. Petros and Aster have four children: Simon, the twins Zerai and Hanna and the youngest one Meaza. Aster worked for the ministery of Fisheries and Marine Resources from 1995 onwards. In January 2000 she enrolled at Phoenix University (Arizona, USA) with a dream of finally her study she interrupted at Addis Ababa University. This study was made possible because the United Nations granted her a scholarship. She wanted to complete her study as soon as possible; she is a lovely family mother, sister, friend and wife. She wanted to go back to her children, husband and her mother. This dream was disrupted after Isaias Afewerki unleashed a crackdown on his former comrades known as G15, independent journalists and elder mediators on September 18, 2001. Aster worried by what happened asked the Eritrean Government to grant her children exit visas to the USA where she was still pursuing her study. Aster had already secured entry visas for her children. The Eritrean regime refused.
For Aster life without her husband, children, mother was not easy. So she decided to return to Eritrea after she was given assistance and assurance of her safety in writing by the former Eritrean Ambassador to the United States and current Eritrean Ambassador to the African Union, Girma Asmerom. On December 11, 2003 she arrived at Asmara Airport eager to see her children and her mom after four years of separation. Her mother was waiting outside the airport together with her four children. Aster was arrested upon arrival before meeting with her mom and children. Her mom and children were waiting outside not knowing what was happening to Aster. Aster has been kept incommunicado like the other prisoners of conscience in Eritrea. Nobody knows where she is. After 10 years Aster is not (yet) charged of any crime and nobody knows what her crime is aside for the fact that she is the wife of former Minister Petros Solomon. Like the other prisoners of conscience, Aster and Petros spent their precious life fighting for the independence of Eritrean and the liberty of its people. As if that is not enough, their mother and mother-in-law respectively, their children and family are continuing the struggle for the release of their beloved once and for full-fledged freedom of all Eritreans. What are we doing? Are you keeping quite as if nothing is going on in Eritrea? Are you keeping quite as if you don’t know these beautiful people? As if they were not your comrades? As if they didn’t fight side by side with you? As if they didn’t support you? As if you were not schoolmates? As if you were not their classmates, neighbours, colleagues, in the same choir group / youth group in the church? Or are you keeping quite becaues you are "not interested in politics"? The mantra used by many to cover up their inaction whether in reglious or non-religious groups.