Please write a polite letter on your personal or institutional
letterhead requesting that the journalists be released—or copy the one
below—and mail to His Excellency President Issaias Afeworki (postage
41˘) and to the Ambassador Girma Asmerom (postage 41˘).
[Date]
H. E. President Issaias Afeworki
c/o Permanent Mission of Eritrea to the United Nations
800 Second Avenue, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Your Excellency,
I
am writing to express my grave and urgent concern about the
imprisonment without charges of several journalists in your country. I
am particularly concerned for the well-being of nine journalists who
have been on hunger strike since March 31, 2002: Yusuf Mohamed Ali,
Mattewos Habteab, Dawit Habtemichael, Medhanie Haile, Temesgen
Ghebreyesus, Emanuel Asrat, Dawit Isaac, Fesshaye Yohannes, Said
Abdulkader. We are seriously concerned that these journalists, and
their colleague Wedi Ade are being detained solely for the peaceful
exercise of their right to freedom of expression as guaranteed by
Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
which your country has ratified. Please reconsider their cases and, in
a spirit of humanity, facilitate their immediate release as a concrete
demonstration of your commitment to reestablish freedom of expression
in Eritrea.
Sincerely,
[Your name and signature]
Cc:
Ambassador Girma Asmerom
Embassy of Eritrea to the United States
1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20009
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