Eritrea: President urged to mark independence anniversary by freeing prisoners

On the eve of the 13th anniversary of Eritrea's independence, on 24 May 2006, Reporters Without Borders appealed to President Issaias Afeworki to release all of his government's prisoners of conscience, including 13 journalists being held incommunicado whose newspapers were shut down in a September 2001 crackdown. "Eritrea's independence day is once again going to be ruined by the uncertainty surrounding the fate of the political prisoners," the press freedom organisation said.