Passports of government critics revoked

The Eritrean authorities have revoked the diplomatic passports of three former members of the ruling party who were among a group of 15 dissenters sacked in May for their open criticism of Eritrean President Isayas Afewerki. Mesfin Hagos, Eritrea's former defence minister, Adhanom Gebremariam, former ambassador to Nigeria, and Haile Menkorios, the former Eritrean ambassador to the United Nations, were all out of the country last week when the authorities arrested 11 other members of the protest group. In a press statement, the Eritrean embassy in Washington confirmed that the passports had been revoked, but insisted that the move was "standard diplomatic practice".

The three former officials, meanwhile, have responded to the events of the last week, during which time the country's independent press was shut down indefinitely, and nine journalists of the independent press and 11 reform-minded former government officials were arrested. Mesfin, Adhanom and Haile accused the government of using repressive measures to silence dissent in Eritrea. In an open letter posted on the Eritrean opposition web site Awate.com on Sunday, they said Afewerki had taken such measures "in a bid to choke the voice of the growing opposition to his repressive rule".

The dissenters sacked in May had called for the implementation of the constitution, the formation of political parties, the institutionalisation of government accountability, and respect for democratic rights and freedoms. Their open letter concluded that democratic freedoms in the country had sunk to a precarious level, and called on all Eritrean people to "stand up for their rights". Of the original 15 members of the reform group, 11 are now in prison in Eritrea, one has recanted and rejoined the government, while the remaining three are outside the country.