The Free Aster Yohannes Campaign

The Free Aster Yohannes Campaign

Aster Yohannes (f): aged 46 with four children (including twins) joined the EPLF (Eritrean People's Liberation Front) in 1979 when she was an electrical engineering student. After independence in 1991, she brought up her children and later worked as a civil servant. Aster had no interest in politics and in January 2000 she went to study marketing at Phoenix University, USA with a UN grant. Her husband, a prominent member of a group known as the G15 who were calling for political reforms was detained in 2001. Despite warnings of the risk of being arrested herself, she returned voluntarily to Eritrea on 11 December 2003 after her graduation to be with her children.

Aster was detained by Eritrean security personnel at Asmara airport upon her return home to be with her children after three years of study in the USA. She has been detained in solitary confinement, and to-date she has not been allowed any visits from her children or family members. The Eritrean Government has not charged Aster with any crime nor have they provided any reason for her continuous detention. Aster's only crime is being the wife former Foreign Minister and Prisoner of Conscience Petros Solomon.

In similar fate, a brave Eritrean man who fought for independence for over 20 years and much adored and recognized - her husband Petros Solomon. Similar to his comrades (A group known as the G15 who were calling for political reforms) and his wife, he has been in prison for over 10 years without an accuser or any jurisprudence. It sounds like a fairy-tale but so true this is happening in today's Eritrea. Many of the illegally imprisoned Eritreans are in bad shape; some have already died, some disabled and others sick. The goal of President Isayas Afewerki appears to be to systematically kill all of them.

It is a paradox to see this happens in the 21st century to the very Eritreans who sacrificed every thing to self govern. The video [http://youtu.be/RgKDf7eXxEw]narrates the beautiful, mother, wife & tigress Tegadalit (Freedom Fighter) Aster Yohannes. There are many more high officials & ordinary citizens that are rotting and dying in the notorious Era-Ero prison and other Prison network in Eritrea without any hope of a trial or due process.

In spite of the difficulties, it is important we all stand up in the face of gross injustice. Regardless of proximity and political affiliation, injustice any where is injustice everywhere.

Here is the link to the video: http://youtu.be/RgKDf7eXxEw

Free Aster Yohannes

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