Berhane Abrehe, Eritrea’s former finance minister and outspoken critic of President Isaias Afwerki, has died in prison at the age of 79, according to his family. Abrehe, who was Eritrea’s longest-serving finance minister, was removed from his role in 2012 after clashing with President Isaias. In 2018, he was jailed following the release of his book, which labeled Isaias as a “dictator” and called for his resignation. The Eritrean authorities, known for rarely confirming the deaths of senior officials in custody, notified Abrehe’s family of his death but provided no details on the cause or exact time.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Abrehe’s family has heard unconfirmed reports that he may be buried in the Asmara Patriots Cemetery, a burial site for veterans of the Eritrean independence war and national service members, though his body has not yet been released. Abrehe was never brought to trial, highlighting the Eritrean government’s pattern of detaining political dissidents without due process. His imprisonment and subsequent death underscore the ongoing issues of human rights abuses in Eritrea, where the government has been accused by the UN and rights groups of torture, forced disappearances, and inhumane detention conditions.
Abrehe’s arrest came after he secretly published a book from exile, challenging President Isaias to a public debate and advocating for the reinstatement of Eritrea’s dissolved parliament. His death is a stark reminder of the fate of political prisoners in Eritrea, many of whom remain incommunicado, held indefinitely in harsh conditions.
