Aster Fissehatsion (also known as Astier Fesehazion) (born 1956) is an Eritrean politician and an Amnesty International prisoner of conscience. She is the former wife of former Vice-President of Eritrea, Mahmoud Ahmed Sherifo. She was detained in September 2001 for being part of the G-15. On 18 September 2001, she was detained indefinitely along with other politicians of G-15, a group which opposed the rule of Eritrean president

Isaias Afewerki Isaias Afwerki ( ti, ኢሳይያስ ኣፍወርቂ, ; born 2 February 1946) is an Eritrean politician and partisan who has been the president of Eritrea since shortly after he led the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) to victory in ...

. Aster along with 15 other ministers were detained in unknown location ever since. The ministers were criticizing the border war of the then president, Isaias and signed an open letter.

Political life

She joined

Eritrean People's Liberation Front The Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF), colloquially known as Shabia, was an armed Marxist–Leninist organization that fought for the independence of Eritrea from Ethiopia. It emerged in 1970 as a far-left to left-wing nationalist group ...

(EPLF) in 1974 and became a leading figure in the struggle for independence in Eritrea. Following independence, she held the following positions: member of the Central Council of

People's Front for Democracy and Justice The People's Front for Democracy and Justice ( ti, ህዝባዊ ግንባር ንደሞክራስን ፍትሕን, PFDJ) is the founding, ruling, and sole legal political party of the State of Eritrea. The successor to the left-wing nationalist ...

(PFDJ)(In 1994, the

EPLF The Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF), colloquially known as Shabia, was an armed Marxist–Leninist organization that fought for the independence of Eritrea from Ethiopia. It emerged in 1970 as a far-left to left-wing nationalist group ...

changed its name to PFDJ) member of the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...

; Director of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. In 1996, Fissehatsion was dismissed from her job for criticising the increasingly authoritarian government, but was reinstated in 1999. In May 2001, she was one of 15 senior party officials, later known as the G-15, who published an open letter calling for "peaceful and democratic dialogue"; and calling on President

to adhere to correct parliamentary and governance procedures, hold internal party meetings, and keep the promises made by the PFDJ in respect of judicial reform.

Arrest

She was detained in September 2001 for being part of the G-15. On 18 September 2001, she was detained indefinitely along with other politicians of G-15, a group which opposed the rule of Eritrean president

. Aster along with ten other ministers were detained in unknown location ever since. The ministers were criticizing the border war of the then president, Isaia and signed an open letter. He was considered a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International. Since the arrest, various governments and self help groups have sought the Eritrean government to the release of the arrested. A mass campaign was launched in Amnesty International during 2011 to the effect. Amnesty International declared her and the ten others arrested as prisoner of conscience and sought immediate release of them. She was the only woman out of the 11 who were detained and out of the 15 who opposed, three fled the country and one withdrew support.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fissehatsion, Aster 1956 births Amnesty International prisoners of conscience held by Eritrea Government ministers of Eritrea Living people Eritrean prisoners and detainees Members of the National Assembly (Eritrea) People's Front for Democracy and Justice politicians Women government ministers of Eritrea