Zemede Tekhle Replaces Ambassador Berakhi
Rome, Italy, (Awate.com, May 2, 2001)    

Zemede Tekhle, a close associate of Hagos Kisha has been appointed to the position of Eritrean Ambassador to Germany. Hagos is the person who controls the gigantic Red Sea Corporation, the economic organ of the ruling party, PFDJ. Zemede replaces Ambassador Berakhi Gebreselassie who has long fallen out of favor of the Eritrean Presidential Office. 

Berakhi is a veteran EPLF Cadre and a member of the Central Committee. Before the liberation of Eritrea, he was the Director of the 'Revolution School' in Sahel. After liberation he served as Minister of Education and later as Minister of Information. In one of the meetings of the leadership, Berakhi bitterly criticized the interference of the Presidential Office in response to President Isaias who criticized Berakhi for the weakness of the Ministry of Information. Berakhi has complained of serious interferences in his Ministry by the Presidential Office. Shortly afterwards Berakhi was demoted to the Ambassadorial position and sent to Germany. He was called back to Asmara few weeks ago and is now replaced by Zemede Tekhle.

A year later, on May 2, 2002, with the situation deteriorating in Eritrea, a private citizen, Mr. Mussie Ephrem, filed a case against the government of Eritrea with the African Commission on Human & People's Rights which he presented, through his lawyer Liesbeth Zegved, a distinguished human rights activist, in Pretoria, South Africa where the commission was meeting...

The African Commission on Human & Peoples� Rights is holding its annual meeting in Pretoria, South Africa, from May 2 to 16, 2002.

In an unprecedented event, the Commission will be discussing the formal complaint lodged by an Eritrean citizen, Mr. Mussie Ephrem, against the Eritrean government for illegally detaining eleven historic figures and other high ranking officials, commonly known as the Reformers, since September 2001.

The complainant, whose legal counsel is the renowned international lawyer and human rights specialist, Dr. Liesbeth Zegveld, from the Netherlands, is also asking the Commission to verify the conditions under which the prisoners are  being held in some undisclosed centers in Eritrea.

Please find enclosed the Press Release diffused by the complainant on this occasion  and a copy of the legal counsel�s communication to the Eritrean government.

To The Government of Eritrea                 
Attn.  of  Mrs. Fawzia Hashim         
P.O. Box 241                             
Asmara                                      
Eritrea                                    
FAX:  00291 1 126422             
Amsterdam,      9 April 2002 
File no.            20010964.LZ/GK

Re:  Communication & Request for provisional measures

Dear Mrs. Hashim,  

Herewith I send you the communication to the African Commission on Human and Peoples� Rights and the request for provisional measures, which I filed today on behalf of Mr. Mussie Ephrem and myself. The communication and the request concern the 11 persons who have been detained in Eritrea since 18 and 19 September 2001.  

I again respectfully request you to take all measures to avoid irreparable damages being caused to the detainees. I repeat the requests made in the habeas corpus writ, which I submitted on 26 November 2001, to reveal where the 11 detainees are being held; to either charge them and bring them before court promptly or release them; to guarantee that none of those detained will be ill-treated; and finally to allow those detained immediated access to lawyers of their own choice, their families and adequate medical care. For your convenience, I enclose a copy of the habeas corpus writ as submitted on 26 November 2001.  

Awaiting your reply,

Yours sincerely,  

L. Zegveld

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