It was only in September 2001 when senior government officials known as “G-15” demanded democratic reforms and the enforcement of the 1997 ratified Constitution that Afwerki proceeded to close private newspapers, clamping down on 11 members of the “G-15” accusing them of treason and said they were a threat to national security, and imprisoning 18 journalists for providing platforms to the “G-15” to express their popular democratic views.
Since September 2001 both the aforementioned senior government officials and journalists have been held in secret overcrowded prison facilities with inadequate food, water, and medical care, and without charges and incommunicado. Many of the journalists and writers are believed to have died in these inhumane detention camps.
In result, since September 2001, no private media has existed in Eritrea.
Afwerki's regime, which is the most repressive regime in all Africa and the most repressive regime you may have ever heard of, retains the monopoly of broadcast media, including TV, radio, and print outlets. These media outlets are nothing else other than a bunch of mouthpieces for the oppressive dictatorship of Afwerki, spewing propaganda on a daily basis, and the journalists who are working for these toe the regime's editorial line for fear of retaliation.
Please note: The images below are exactly among the journalists who got arrested between 21 and 23 September 2001 following the arrest on 18 September 2001 of the senior politicians popularly known as G-15, which I've discussed above.
Could you imagine if these poor innocent journalists have been languishing without charge either in containers or overcrowded and unsanitary prison facilities since 2001. In other words, they've been in such harsh prisons for 21 years, 10 months, and 4 days to date for having simply done their job as journalists, providing citizens with platforms to share their democratic views!
No wonder Afwerki is called "The merciless butcher to this own people", as this is typical of he has been inflicting upon his own people!





















