VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAE #0546/01 3171146
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
R 121146Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASMARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0009
INFO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 6252
RUEHDJ/AMEMBASSY DJYBYUTI 3106
RUHO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1662
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 4773
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1837
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEPADJ/CJTF-HOA J2X CAMP LEMONIER DJ
RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUMICEA/JICCENT MACDILL AFB FL
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

SS E C R E T ASMARA 000546 

NOFORN 
SIPDIS 

DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/AF, DS/TIA/ITA, DS/ICI/CI, 
DS/IP/SPC/SO, DS/OPO/FLD, INR, AF/E, DRL, LONDON AND PARIS 
FOR AFRICA WATCHERS 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2028 
TAGS: ASEC ER PGOV PREL PHUM KIRF
SUBJECT: ARREST, INTERROGATION, AND TORTURE OF
 XXXXXXXXXXXX
REF: ASMARA 509 

Classified By: Ambassador Ronald K. McMullen for Reason 1.4 (d) 

¶1. (S/NF) SUMMARY: On XXXXXXXXXXXX  was released
after five months in jail. XXXXXXXXXXXX emotionally 
recounted his experience to the RSO, including his interrogation,
deplorable prison conditions, beatings, and  witnessing the torture
of other prisoners being held at the  XXXXXXXXXXXX facility.
 XXXXXXXXXXXX  kept a prison diary and gave  different,
 but similar, versions to the RSO and XXXXXXXXXXXX.
END SUMMARY. 

ARREST 
------ 
2 (S/NF) XXXXXXXXXXXX was assigned as a guard at the 
XXXXXXXXXXXX. On XXXXXXXXXXXX, police came to his 
residence around 6:00 a.m. and demanded to see  his  demobilization card. Such intrusions are common in May 
during the run-up to Independence Day, as the government 
increases security and also rounds up national service 
evaders. The demobilization card is proof that an Eritrean 
has completed national service, and in theory, not subject to 
call-up or arrest for service evasion. As XXXXXXXXXXXX
 was pulling  out his demobilization card, the officials spotted
his  XXXXXXXXXXXX  ID and noted his Ethiopian last name. 
XXXXXXXXXXXX told RSO  he does not think the officials came
to his house because he  worked for the XXXXXXXXXXXX, but
were looking for suspicious  persons and arrested him after
seeing  his XXXXXXXXXXXX and last  name. XXXXXXXXXXXX
¶3. (S/NF) Police questioned XXXXXXXXXXXX at a downtown 
police  station for about four hours. They asked about his job 
XXXXXXXXXXX, his father's last name, how many 
XXXXXXXXXXXX, and how long he had worked there.
Later that  day, XXXXXXXXXXX was taken to the
 XXXXXXXXXXXX located  XXXXXXXXXXXX.. 

DETENTION AND INTERROGATION 
--------------------------- 
¶4. (S/NF) XXXXXXXXXXXX was placed in a cell approximately
40 feet x  38 feet with about 600 other prisoners. He stated the 
conditions were so cramped, it was not possible to lie down 
and barely possible to sit. He was held there for one month 
before being interrogated. He was interrogated on two 
separate occasions by members of the Eritrean National 
Security Organization (ENSO), including one nicknamed 
XXXXXXXXXXXX On both occasions the interrogator beat him.
The  interrogator asked him the following questions: 

¶A. What was his job title and responsibilities. 
¶B. Did he perform any other duties XXXXXXXXXXXX ,
and why does he work there. 
¶C. Which XXXXXXXXXXXX were spying for  XXXXXXXXXXXX 
¶D. XXXXXXXXXXX 
¶E. What were the religions of XXXXXXXXXXX. 
¶F. What activities occur at the XXXXXXXXXXXX, is 
it being used as a warehouse, and what is stored there. 
¶G. Who is the XXXXXXXXXXXX, what is his job, what 
activities does he  do at XXXXXXXXXXX, who does he 
meet with, and what parts of  Asmara does he frequent. 
¶H. They asked about, XXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXX stated the ENSO personnel called him a "spy
XXXXXXXXXXXX during his interrogations. They stated they knew 
"everything that happens in the XXXXXXXXXXXX and that if 
he lied to them they would know XXXXXXXXXXXX stated he was
simply  a guard at XXXXXXXXXXXX. He stated his job was 
to provide security XXXXXXXXXXXX The interrogator
XXXXXXXXXXXX  later told XXXXXXXXXXXX he  must
come at least once a week to XXXXXXXXXXXX office in
Asmara and report all activities he observes at 
XXXXXXXXXXXX.

XXXXXXXXXXXX. 

PRISON CONDITIONS 
----------------- 
¶5. (S/NF) After the two interrogations, XXXXXXXXXXXX
wasnot  questioned again, but returned to the crowded holding
room.  Prisoners were fed 2 pieces of bread three times a day 
and  allowed to use the toilet twice a day. A bucket in the 
middle of the room served as a toilet between escorted 
bathroom breaks, but it constantly spilled and contaminated 
the room with urine and feces. Many prisoners could not talk 
due to the lack of water, their tongues stuck to the roofs of 
their mouths from thirst. XXXXXXXXXXXX said prisoners believed 
ENSO  had placed informers in the prison cell to gain additional 
information. Family members and friends are allowed to bring 
food to prisoners. One of XXXXXXXXXXXX friends smuggled
in a  notebook and pen with a tray of food, and he chronicled his 
experience in two versions, one for the RSO and another for 
the Ambassador. XXXXXXXXXXXX smuggled the diaries 
out also using  the food trays. 

WITNESS TO TORTURE 
------------------ 
¶6. (S/NF) The ENSO personnel regularly tortured prisoners 
imprisoned with XXXXXXXXXXXX. His cellmates were
Eritreans who tried to flee the country, military deserters,
common criminals, and Protestants (presumably of unregistered 
denominations). XXXXXXXXXXXX stated they could hear the
screams of  people being tortured and he witnessed ENSO
staff bringing  back badly bruised and bleeding detainees to the
holding  room. On one occasion, XXXXXXXXXXXX observed
ENSO officials beating  a man with a rubber hose on his bare feet.
Another time,  when XXXXXXXXXXXX was allowed out to use
the bathroom, he passed a shipping container and saw a man
sitting with his arms tied  and raised behind his back. His feet were tied together and  a wooden pole was placed beneath his knees. He saw head with a rubber hose and wooden sticks. XXXXXXXXXXXX said ENSO later  moved the container to a more remote part of the
Camp where other prisoners could not observe the torture. 

CHILDREN NOT SPARED 
------------------- 
¶7. (S/NF) XXXXXXXXXXXX said that for a few days,
approximately 35  boys, aged 8-13, were confined with him. 
Asked why they were  arrested, the boys said they had crossed
into Ethiopia, but  Ethiopian soldiers caught them, and, after
 feeding them and  giving them new clothes, sent them back to
Eritrea, telling  them they were too young to cross by themselves.
Upon returning to Eritrea, the boys were arrested and taken to
XXXXXXXXXXXX, and later to another prison in
 XXXXXXXXXXXX. XXXXXXXXXXXXsaid ENSO  personnel also beat the boys And told the adult prisoners not  to talk to the boys or to each
other about why they were in prison or about their beatings. 

RELEASED AFTER FIVE MONTHS 
-------------------------- 
¶8. (S/NF) XXXXXXXXXXXX was angry and nearly broke
 into tears a  number of times. He said although the physical
abuse and  deprivations took a toll on his body, it was the 
psychological abuse of being packed in with so many other 
people, of not knowing when the next beatings would come,
and  believing he could be killed, that was the most damaging. 
XXXXXXXXXXXX has probably been more candid about
his  experience than other XXXXXXXXXXXX who were
 incarcerated (reftel). 

¶9. (S/NF) , XXXXXXXXXXXX was freed, with no explanation
for his release or detention. ENSO personnel warned him
they  would kill him if he told anyone. XXXXXXXXXXXX
 of his detention and treatment. The ENSO personnel
refused to return his XXXXXXXXXXXX or his demobilization 
card.  XXXXXXXXXXXX believes,  XXXXXXXXXXXX, his arrest
occurred  because the ENSO  official saw  XXXXXXXXXXXX
and noticed  his father's  Ethiopian last name.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

MCMULLEN