Eritrea tyrant's response to Amnesty: All Calumny No Confutation
13 May 2013
In a comprehensive report it published on Thursday, 9 May 2013, under the title, 'ERITREA 20 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE, BUT STILL NO FREEDOM, Amnesty International charged Eritrea tyrant Esias Afareki, among other equally very grave, irrefutable, and undeniable repression charges, with jailing at least 10,000 political prisoners during the last two decades of his tyrannical reign.
'If you don't like the message, attack the messenger' was then Eritrea tyrant's only response option to that, for the charges are indefensible. A patented modus operandi of Eritrea tyrant whenever he is confronted with indefensible charges, or messages the tyrant can't handle. To that effect, the tyrant issued a press release on 9 May 2013, rejecting Amnesty International's repression charges not that because he is denying the existence of political prisoners, but because Amnesty got the numbers wrong.
Eritrea tyrant's response, as articulated in the said press release was all foul calumny of AI, not one single confutation of any of the repression charges Amnesty labeled against the tyrant. In the said statement, the tyrant attacks Amnesty as ignorant of the situation in Eritrea for not knowing the exact figure of political detainees in Eritrea, and hits AI as being a disgrace to its members and backers for charging Eritrea tyrant with turning Eritrea into one of the most repressive, secretive and inaccessible countries in the world. Further, the tyrant attacks AI's correct characterization of Eritrea tyrant's detention sites, unimaginably atrocious conditions, as AI's 'fanciful flights of imagination'.
Now, calling Amnesty names does not disprove AI's repression charges. To the contrary, calling Amnesty names prove Eritrea tyrant's guilt.
Amnesty International's submission that it does not know 'the exact figure' is, by all standards, laudable. Eritrea tyrant is the one and only, that kidnaps, disappears, and detains political prisoners, hence he is the one that knows the exact figures not Amnesty, for there are no published figures. So,
1. If Amnesty's figures weren't right how about Eritrea tyrant disclosing the exact figure of political prisoners he has kidnapped, disappeared, and detained?
2. If Eritrea tyrant's detention sites were different than unimaginably atrocious dungeons, bunkers, and shipping containers, how about Eritrea tyrant disclosing and opening those locations and the whereabouts of the detainees to the public?
3. If Eritrea tyrant has not turned Eritrea into one of the most repressive, secretive and inaccessible countries in the world, why not come up with witnesses that would prove prohibition of peaceful demonstration is not repression, denial of alternate media to the only media of the tyrant is not repression, not allowing political, civic organisation, public gathering is not repression?
4. Why not come up with witnesses that would prove nor disclosing the detention sites and whereabouts of political and other prisoners is not secretive. Eritrea is inaccessible both to independent Eritreans and international media. Why not come up with someone to prove the contrary? All of the above would not only have disproven AI's charges but would have ended AI as we know it too! It won't happen because the charges are real. That is why Eritrea tyrant chose calumny and name calling instead.
That said, what needs to be done beyond filing charges now? One sound avenue would be to involve one of the international powerhouses that has the necessary leverage to effect change in Eritrea. The EU is one such major powerhouse that has the necessary leverage to effect changes in Eritrea. Therefore, heed the call of AI's head at the EU, Nicolas Beger, and urge the EU to use this month's anniversary of Eritrean independence to protest powerfully about the dire human rights situation in Eritrea, via an online petition, wherein EU is called upon to:
1. Follow the example of Norway and sever diplomatic relation with Eritrea tyrant by closing their embassies or by at least degrading them to a mission or even to group representation,
2. Impose travel ban on all agents of Eritrea tyrant in whatever capacity or function they may operate, and
3. Withhold financial and any other aid to Eritrea tyrant until Eritrea tyrant meets the minimum demands set by AI's head at the EU.
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