Berhane Abrehe, Eritrea’s former finance minister and a vocal critic of President Isaias Afwerki, has died at 79 in prison after being detained without charge for six years. Berhane, who served as finance minister for over a decade, was removed from office in 2012 following clashes with President Afwerki. Berhane had urged Mr. Isaias for transparency on the country’s budget. He was then imprisoned in 2018 after publishing a book that criticized the president as a “dictator” and called for his resignation. His family, notified of his death by authorities, has not yet received his body. Berhane’s death highlights the ongoing repression in Eritrea, where political parties, independent media, and civil liberties are banned. His family continues to seek answers about his death, which remains shrouded in secrecy.
SOURCE: BBC