厄立特里亚战斗机飞行员讲述被迫害的暗黑时光

Eritrea Fighter Pilot Escapes, Calls for Justice for Jailed Compatriots

Dejen Ande Hishel was a fighter pilot in Eritrea. He trained in Russia and flew during Eritrea’s war with Ethiopia in the 1990s. But in 1999, Eritrean officials arrested him. He spent 15 years in an Eritrean prison although he was never charged with or tried for a crime. He escaped in 2014.

Today, Dejen lives in Sweden and is talking publicly about people who were jailed like he was, but remain in prison. Many have been held, without trial, or contact with the outside world, for more than 10 years.

“I feel a sense of responsibility to speak out not only for myself but for all those left in prison,” he told VOA.

End of war

Dejen has a reason for speaking out now. Eritrea and Ethiopia just ended their 20-year border war. The government ordered strong measures connected to the conflict, including required military service for all citizens. Travel in and out of the country is also restricted.

Eritreans are hoping those measures will be loosened¹ and prisoners will be free now that there is peace.

In July, Radio France International said that the Eritrean government freed 35 people arrested for belonging to illegal Christian² groups.

Berhane Asmelash is an activist³ for Eritreans who face religious persecution⁴. He told RFI that the release of the Christians⁵ had been planned earlier and were not the result of the peace deal.

The government has not yet admitted the release. VOA sought comment from Yemane Meskel, the Minister of Information, several times. He did not answer.

But, in comments published in The Economist⁶ magazine, Yemane said people need to give the government time to make changes.

Still in prison

Dejen says his freedom in Sweden is not complete because so many are still in prison in Eritrea.

Semhar Habtezion’s father is among them. Brigadier General Habtezion Hadgu founded the Eritrean Air Force, his son told VOA.

Semhar said his father argued with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki about how the air force was operated. He also questioned the imprisonment⁷ of men like Dejen. The general was arrested and jailed himself in 2003. His family has no information about him.

The situation of men like Habtezion Hadgu occupy Dejen’s thoughts.

“Even when I speak to you from outside the country, I see myself as if I am still in prison because all my colleagues are still there,” he said.

He described Eritrean prison conditions as difficult to survive.

“There are times where you might die due to hunger or sickness.” And, other times, he said, prison officials will not permit medical care for the detainees.

Law and order

The United Nations and activist groups have documented widespread human rights abuses in Eritrea. Human Rights Watch said Eritreans face arrest and imprisonment without reason and they can be held for years without limitation.

The government says all such reports are false and politically based.

Dejen longs for the rule of law and a fair system.

“Whether we solve it through the rule of law or peace, we need to sit down and discuss. If that is the discussion, I would go back to my country tonight. I would stand trial and even go back to jail if there is law and order,” he said.

I’m Susan Shand.

Words in This Story

persecute⁸ – v. to treat (someone) cruelly or unfairly especially because of race or religious or political beliefs

colleague – n. a person you work with

due to – adj. because of (something)

1 loosened   

v.解开( loosen的过去式和过去分词 )；放松；松弛；（使）放松

参考例句：

• He has loosened the soil up with a fork. 他用耙松过土了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The new policies loosened up foreign trade. 新政策使对外贸易有了更大的灵活性。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

3 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

4 persecution   

n. 迫害,烦扰

参考例句：

• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
• Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。

5 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

6 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

7 imprisonment   

n.关押，监禁，坐牢

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。

8 persecute   

vt.迫害，虐待；纠缠，骚扰

参考例句：

• They persecute those who do not conform to their ideas.他们迫害那些不信奉他们思想的人。
• Hitler's undisguised effort to persecute the Jews met with worldwide condemnation.希特勒对犹太人的露骨迫害行为遭到世界人民的谴责。