Paul Calvert spoke with Filmon, an Eritrean refugee in Israel

Eritrea, an African nation bordered by Sudan, gained independence in 1991 and international recognition in 1993, becoming a member of the African Union and the United Nations. However, the ruling party, The People's Front for Democracy and Justice and the president, Isaias Afewerki, have been in office since independence in 1993. National elections have been periodically scheduled and cancelled.

In September 2001 the government closed down all of the nation's privately owned print media and outspoken critics of the government have been arrested and held without trial, according to various international observers.

Paul Calvert spoke with Filmon, one such outspoken critic and now an Eritrean refugee in Israel.

Paul: How did you originally get to Israel?

Filmon: I was a victim of kidnapping in Sudan. I was abducted and taken to Egypt, to the Sinai Peninsula to be more exact.

Paul: You are originally from Eritrea; what was the situation like before you left Eritrea and why did you leave?

Filmon: Horrible; that is one way of explaining it. The situation is really dire. People have lost their sense of freedom because there is a totalitarian state. We have a crazy dictator for a president and there is no freedom of speech, no freedom of worship; basically no freedom. You just do what you are told, or else. Those who defy the government by voicing their concern disappear. They literally disappear. The government has a net of informers, so even if you want to protest you cannot trust anyone because he has the country divided, questioning each others loyalty. He has brainwashed half the country to believe that the president himself is saving them from the cruelty of the world.

Paul: And of course you protested?

Filmon: Yes. The people feel like if it wasn't for him the country of Eritrea would not exist, but it is because of him that 100,000 Eritreans are fleeing their country and not only their country, but their neighbouring country as well, because he has a net of spies there too, especially in Sudan.

Paul: So you escaped and went to Sudan?

Filmon: Yes, it took me three days and three nights to get to Sudan on foot. Once I reached there I went to the refugee camp for two weeks, but before I could move on from there I was kidnapped from the refugee camp.

Paul: Why are they kidnapping Eritreans?

Filmon: They are exploiting the Eritrean lifestyle. Generally in Eritrea there is no such thing as individuality; it's usually a community life and whatever happens to an individual affects the community in general. They noticed that people without help or people with no money would get help from relatives and sometimes even from strangers and so they chose to exploit it and they started kidnapping Eritreans, particularly to the Sinai desert. Then they would make you call your home and demand a huge amount of ransom money; sometimes $30,000, sometimes $40,000 and nowadays it's even $55,000.

Paul: That must be quite scary for your family to hear that you had been kidnapped.