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After a month long illness, Kentebai Hedad Kerrar, an elderly Eritrean who had been under house arrest since October 2001, passed away yesterday evening in Asmara. For nearly a year and half, Mr. Hedad Kerrar had been under constant surveillance and restricted movement, which prevented him from leaving Asmara city limits. The restriction was so strict he was unable to attend the funeral of his mother in Keren, who died last year at the age of 91. In mid July 2001, Mr. Hedad Herar was one of the fifty Eritrean elders who attempted to mediate the conflict between high-ranking members of the PFDJ and President Isaias Afwerki. The elders were interrogated individually about their motives by the then Police Commissioner, Brigadier General Musa Raba’. The elders explained they were merely fulfilling their cultural obligation which calls on people their age to volunteer for mediation efforts. The elders were dismissed after they were warned to refrain from their activities because they were “in violation of Proclamation 27-2 which limits participation in political rallies to no more than seven individuals.” The elders responded that they had reason to believe the Proclamation was invalid since they had never been warned about congregating in multitudes when they attended meetings organized by the government. In June 2001, citing its approach to Awqaf (Muslim Endowment funds) and appointment of religious leaders, Mr. Hedad Kerar and others had accused the Eritrean government of discriminating against Muslims. The accusation was leveled at an event commemorating Mewlid A’Nebi (Prophet’s Birthday) in Asmara’s main mosque and then repeated in a follow-up meeting with the then Liaison for Religious Affairs, Dragon. The title to the Muslim endowment funds and rental-income properties, which were nationalized by the former occupation force, the Derg, still remains under the custody of the Eritrean government. When the elders were arrested, Mr. Hedad Kerar was briefly detained and then released in consideration for his deteriorating health. He had been suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes and required constant care and medication. Repeated requests for him to receive an exit visa to travel abroad for hospitalization were denied by the government. See related reports |
