Former Eritrean Finance Minister Berhane Abrehe, a vocal critic of President Isaias Afwerki, has died in prison at the age of 79, according to his family.
Abrehe, who served as the country’s longest-tenured finance minister, was removed from office in 2012 following repeated clashes with President Afwerki over transparency in the national budget. In 2018, six years after his dismissal, he was imprisoned after publishing a book in which he labeled the president a “dictator” and called for his resignation.
Abrehe’s family reported that Eritrean authorities, who rarely acknowledge the deaths of high-profile detainees, informed them of his passing. However, the government has yet to release his body, and it remains unclear when and how he died. The family has been told that there are plans to bury him in Asmara Patriots Cemetery, a burial ground reserved for veterans of the Eritrean independence war and members of the national service, though the location of his body has not been disclosed.
Despite never being tried in court, Abrehe was imprisoned in an undisclosed location, where he spent his final years. His imprisonment came after the release of his two-volume book, “My Country,” which challenged President Afwerki’s authority, called for the reinstatement of Eritrea’s dissolved national assembly, and demanded a televised debate with the president. His bold criticisms made him a symbol of resistance against the repressive regime.
Abrehe’s family endured similar suffering under the Eritrean government. His wife was imprisoned without explanation in 2018 and released in 2019. Their son, who fled to the United States, spoke out about the harsh treatment his family faced, expressing a faint hope that his father would one day be freed.
Eritrea, led by President Isaias Afwerki since its independence in 1991, is notorious for its harsh treatment of political dissidents. The country has never held national elections, and the government continues to suppress political parties, civil society organizations, and independent media. Human rights organizations and the United Nations have repeatedly condemned the Eritrean government for gross violations, including torture, forced disappearances, and the inhumane treatment of detainees.
Berhane Abrehe, born in 1945, was a veteran of Eritrea’s struggle for independence and held an MA in economics from a U.S. university. His life and death serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing human rights abuses under the Eritrean regime.
