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IN SOLIDARITY WITH FATHER MUSSIE ZERAI

IN SOLIDARITY WITH FATHER MUSSIE ZERAI   We, the undersigned coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs), are writing this open letter to express our unflinching support to, and solidarity with, Father Mussie Zerai: a well-known Eritrean priest

IN SOLIDARITY WITH FATHER MUSSIE ZERAI

 

We, the undersigned coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs), are writing this open letter to express our unflinching support to, and solidarity with, Father Mussie Zerai: a well-known Eritrean priest and a Nobel Peace Prize nominee for his unreserved dedication to humanitarianism.

 

We have learned from widespread media coverage, including some interviews Father Zerai himself has given to some media outlets, that the Prosecution Office in Trapani (Italy) is investigating Father Zerai, for alleged involvement in the crimes of human smuggling and/or trafficking. Although the details of the investigation and final outcome are yet to be made public, we are very confident of Father Zerai’s selfless humanitarian commitment to helping the destitute and the vulnerable, especially the countless refugees who have been forced to take the dangerous route to Europe via the southern maritime borders of Europe, a place that has now become a mass grave of refugees.

 

Father Zerai has an impeccable record. His dedication to humanitarianism cannot be in any way equated with smuggling and/or trafficking. Seen against this backdrop, the on-going investigation by the Prosecution Office in Trapani appears a bizarre development. We are concerned that this action is a distraction from the urgent needs of addressing the causes of the troubling refugee crisis in the southern maritime borders of Europe and the needs of refugees. It is very sad to see some European law enforcement agencies and decision-makers trying to divert attention by shifting the blame to the wrong people, in particular humanitarian actors, who are doing their level best to save the lives of refugees. The fact of the matter is that refugees are wantonly exposed to enormous levels of suffering not by the actions of humanitarians, such as Father Zerai, but by the despicable failure of certain entities, including some European law enforcement agencies, which should have come in the forefront of saving the lives of refugees.

 

At the end of the investigation, we are very sure that the innocence of Father Zerai will be proven beyond any doubt. Until such time, we would like to take this occasion to express our unflinching solidarity with his plight. We urge the Italian authorities to ensure that their investigative activities do not disrupt Father Zerai’s legitimate humanitarian activities. We also remind Italian law enforcement agencies and decision-makers to invest their time and resources in productive endeavours, including saving the lives of thousands of refugees who are perishing at the southern maritime borders of Europe and ensuring a proper reception for those that make it to their shores.

 

25 August 2017

 

The list of signatories below will remain open until 1 September 2017, midday Central European Time. Those who would like to have their names included in the list are advised to do so by sending their email confirmation to: eri.law.society@gmail.com. Only civil society organisations can endorse the open letter.

 

 

 

List of signatories in alphabetical order:

 

  1. Africa Monitors: https://africamonitors.org/
  2. Al Khatim Adlan Centre for Enlightenment and Human Development (KACE): http://www.kacesudan.org/english_home/
  3. Assenna Foundation Ltd: http://archive.assenna.com/
  4. Eritrean Diaspora in East Africa (EDEA): http://edeakenya.org/
  5. Eritrea Focus: http://archive.assenna.com/eritrea-focus/
  6. Eritreans for Human and Democratic Rights – UK (EHDR-UK): https://goo.gl/Boe9nG
  7. Eritrean Initiative on Refugee Rights (EIRR): http://eirr.org/
  8. Eritrean Law Society (ELS): http://erilaw.org/
  9. Eritreische Medienbund Schweiz (EMBS) / Eritrean Media Foundation of Switzerland: http://eritreischer-medienbund.ch/
  10. Eritrean Movement for Democracy and Human Rights (EMDHR): http://www.emdhr.net/
  11. Eritrean Unity for Justice – UK: http://haddnet.org/
  12. Europe External Policy Advisors (EEPA): http://www.eepa.be/
  13. ‘Hidmona’: Eritrean-Canadian Human Rights Group of Manitoba
  14. Horn of Africa Civil Society Forum (HoACS Forum): https://goo.gl/Kx6cEV
  15. Information Forum for Eritrea (IFE): https://www.ife-ch.org/
  16. Network of Eritrean Women (NEW): https://goo.gl/42tveF
  17. PEN Eritrea: http://www.peneritrea.com/
  18. Release Eritrea: https://goo.gl/PcNc2i
  19. Race On the Agenda (ROTE): http://www.rota.org.uk/

 

 

 

 

 

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29 COMMENTS
  • Mebrahtu August 25, 2017

    I absolutely agree with the above statements. To investigate Father Mussie Zerai , ” The Other Savior”, is ridiculous. Rather, it would be rational to award him prize for his relentless humanitarian work the world ever has seen. He has been spending countless sleepless nights for the sake of others lives without whatsoever rewards. it is sad to see him being interrogating by the police instead of getting compliments and praises.

    • Nahom Solomon August 25, 2017

      If 100% innocent then he would be rewarded by God otherwise he has to face the music.
      No one is above the law and there is no one pure human but I feel he is an innocent person.

    • Danilo August 25, 2017

      Indeed, the trapani investigation if serve the correct method of hearing with out tangible I have no doubt Don musie will win the case and acquire the Nobel prize that he deserves. The eritrean regime’s effort combined with the right wing parties in Italy must stop.

    • Alamz August 26, 2017

      How is someone who is accused of a second-degree murder consider 100% innocent? This is beyond me I think people like him (from all side) must face the law. This will be a lesson to this cleric and other Eritrean/Ethiopian who encourage dangerous and illegal migration (e.g., Merion). By the way, I do not feel sorry any longer for folks playing Russian Roulette on their life

      Love

      • amanuel August 26, 2017

        U dont know love almaz hasawit higdf. Niskin kamakin eyo nertra abzi abxihkuma. Tigtaweyti tezeykenki hazinki kemzeleki glux eyu. Ane zifeltom ertrawyan higdfat hgus yeblomn bezi kunetat. Etom zemlikuwom sebesiltan bzey hade fre egrom ab gudgad atya silezela. Bebihade yimotu silezelewu hanti keyefreyu. Ab mumatom dima dekom gedifomom niwexae silezikedu, ezom aba musie zedhanom. Xililti sebeyti deka kitekib aytikelin eya bezgabiher silezihamemet. Baelom zitexelelu gin miekab dekoms yitref deki kaleot win abti adi kesfuru aykielun eyom. Bzikone hizbin meneseyin kinebir eyu aregewti serekti wengelenatat higdf dima nenihidihiden enatebala kitefa eyen. Edmien win wedien expire geren eyen higis kindey keyxenha.

        • Almaz August 26, 2017

          Amanuel

          I have nothing against people expressing their Tigrigna thoughts using English alphabet. But being “Amiche” I have a hard time reading Tigrigna written in feedel let alone in the English alphabet. So, at any rate, at least the first line of your response tells me that you call me names and you also associated me with HGFDJ (which, if it were true is an honor for me.) Coming to the point, this father is accused of associated with human trafficker/smugglers. From what I heard from people on the boat (receiving 2:00 AM call for a financial assistance request.) My cousin told me they have people to call as soon as they hit the territorial waters of Italy. So, one may ask who is/are this/these person(s)? Of course none other than this priest and/or Merion. This is why I say the accusation is valid. The priest is either part of the smuggler ring or outright criminal by association.

          • Gezae August 26, 2017

            You are quite right, not only the ABBA I assume even the so called Human right group/s what so ever without any excuses are part and parcel of the smugglers ring or outright criminal by association.

          • Sol September 2, 2017

            Almaz as someone who honored for being a supporter and/or member of criminal rmafia group no wonder to accuse innnocent Eritreans that work day and night to rescue thei fellow citizens from drowning in the wild sea, your cousin who told you they call people as their boat hit Italian territories and hunderds others will tell how when they were at the edge of death how father Mussies helped them by calling Italian and other rescuerers to pull them to their boats but your criminal tendenccy will not let you accept the truth.

      • Natnael September 3, 2017

        I share your opinion Almaz…”who is accused of a second-degree murder…”! What wonders me besides is that why father Zerai is accused alone and not the whole conspiring commission ICER, whose whereabout I donn’t know now ? I mean alle the ICER-actors of then who used Assena as their confortable media outlet !!!

        My legitimate critical opinion ought never mislead you calling me a DIA friend or even HGDF, rather the opposite.

  • kibur August 26, 2017

    My dear sisters and brothers, ” Lomi zeketete bdewo kemzemete mstebahle” every Eritrean, young and old gave their precious life for liberty and freedom. At this critical and very sad time of our people, anybody who says that our people and country are in good shape, well and beyond, probably you do not have human flesh and soul . so you are bdewkum zimetkum hilna wey nai brain stegem zelekum

  • k.tewolde August 27, 2017

    Almaz,Gezae…….,there is something called due process in the west unlike the places where the victims originate.Instead of standing against the root cause of the problem that is creating this human calamity of astronomical proportion,you playing legal experts by convicting the priest prematurely.Where do you spend your time?reading ‘hagerawi dihnet’ and watching EriTv? I suggest you better off watching the rerun of “Murder She Wrote’.You will learn something.

    • sami August 28, 2017

      Don’t flatter yourself by considering yourself as a teacher or as a legal expert!!!!
      When you are merely a well known diKala wedi Komarit foot soldier of the barbaric Islamic corrupted ELF mendef shit.
      What are we going to learn from you, a crippled wheel chaired beggar?
      A doctrine about the old savage ELF killings, robbing our peasants & burning our languages?You should simply be stoned to death or burned alive in your shit diKala ELF wheel chair.

      • k.tewolde August 28, 2017

        That is all you capable of- killing wheelchair bound vets like Mai Habar or helpless elderly,women and children trying to flee the hell you created on earth. sami the crusader you must be still buzzing on dumu dumu and having flashbacks from the battlefield,There is a cure-debriefing and detoxification.

        • sami August 28, 2017

          Khalifa bin TeKebre in evil Mecca, as diKhala wedi Komarit you went to savage evil Meda in search of your true terrorist taliban father and ended up as screwed up, damaged/crippled for life diKala beggar in the USA.
          Wedi Komarit ELF shit whore mouth, how you managing with your food stamps and the rest of recycled savage moslem Arab cloths??
          Your simple cure would be to burn you alive in your diKala moslem hell.

          • Kalighe August 29, 2017

            Sami

            K. Tewelde is a medical doctor.
            It’s you who is beggar, evil and sub-human.

      • Natu September 6, 2017

        I only wonder that Assena tolerates such kinds of childish communication whose standard is lower than one can imagine, as Sami does in the name of a false democratic freedom of speech.

        This makes me realy very doubtful what the mission of Assena concerns. Assena please protect the culture of a civilized communication or even a society..

        People such as Sami who attach so savagely do have nothing to fetch here. It were Assena’s job to exclude such monkey types of gangsters !!!!

        @K. Tewolde, I enjoy[ed] your open/frank postings and please continue doing it further !

        • k.tewolde September 7, 2017

          Thanks Natu. I stopped wondering and continue delivering the message of hope and common sense through the barrage of filth and personal insult that is allowed to be displayed in this medium.So are a number of pen names flagged for these vicious cyber attacks.Goal is to silence and put a duct tape on our mouth=a practice they perfected in their intolerant authoritarian terrestrial inferno.

  • Aba thimmer August 27, 2017

    The alleged priest and other human right advocates had hard time helping desperate refugees on high waters and desserts. ABBA musie is well known as courageous priest , Dr Alganesh also won gold medal. Later she was harassed by ultra destra for some reason as one gazete put it on it’s head line “eritrean / Italian tangible “working in Milan. Exploring the interest of mafia in Asmara. Now, the actual accusation we hear is not new. I heard it before personally by Iseyas discourse. So ‘those” foreign conspiracy “we been told by him focus only to poor individuals rather than Weyane or America. However, we will learn more and more very soon.

    • sami August 28, 2017

      You are simply a jerk moslem shit. How did the American drones miss you in your Afghanistan evil savage taliban mission? Our Komandis jeganu heroes also missed you in their old clean up of rootless terrorists job but our young generation would be very watchful of your mercenaries type and would finish you off for once and for all in the very near future.

  • Nahom Solomon August 28, 2017

    Dear brothers and sisters,
    Please lets stick with the most important issue on hand and leave personal attacks aside. Thanks.
    Sister Almaz I may not agree with all your points but I admire you tremendously for your cool and
    intelligent responses. Please keep it up and and don’t get discouraged by some street like commentators.

  • FM August 29, 2017

    Abba Mussie did what his priestly calling has compelled him to do according to the Gospel of St. Matthew 25: 35-40 “I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirst and gave me drink, I was stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you dressed me, I was sick you visited me, I was imprisoned and you came to see me… whatever you did to the least of my brothers you have done it to me.” For someone who has an iota fear of God will not label such scandalous allegation on a priest who is doing according to his calling. It is also the duty of a priest like Jesus to preach, “The Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor, to return the captives, to give sight to the blind and preach liberty to the oppressed on the year of favor” (Luke 4: 18-19). I hope Abba Mussie will be exonerated but suffering for the truth and justice is part of his daily cross and sign that he is in line with the Gospel values, which should be applied by every person who claims to be a Christian or anyone who claims to believe in God. The comments I am reading are like the words of the two robbers crucified on the right and left of Jesus at Calvary. One admits of his sinfulness the other accuses Jesus like his crucifiers. Imagine!!! Lord have mercy on us and on our nation.

  • ሃብቶም August 29, 2017

    እዚ ስርዓት ህግደፍ ምስ ማፍያ ሚኒስተራ ዓዲ ጣልያን፡ ኮንካ ነባ፡ሙሴ ደው ን ምባል ዝተኣልመ፡እዮ ፡፡ ኩሉ ኤርትራዊ ብፍላይ፡ ሓገዝ፡ ናይ ኣባ ሙሴ ዝረኽብኩም፡ ተቃውሞኹምን ደገፍኩም፡ ነ ባ ሙሴ ከተስምዑ፡ እዋኑ፡ እዩ፡፡

    • Degllel August 31, 2017

      Brilliant assumption !!,that is what i thought too, especially after i learned two government officials Yemane (monky) and the ambassador were lobbing for investement seriously??Yemane has no knowledge of economics,it was just a cover up.

  • Danilo August 29, 2017

    ሓው ህብቶም፡ብርግጽ ሓቅኻ ኢኻ።ብስም FM ኣብ ላዕሊ ኣገንዚቡዎ ከም ዘሎ’ውን ንሕልና ዘለዎ ሩዱእ ኢዩ።የግዳ፡”ወላ ትንፈር ጨል “ኮይኑ ነግሩ።ካብዚ ኹሉ ዘስደምም ግን ሕጂ’ውን ከምታ ናይ ላምፓዱሳ ፡ነቶም ኣብ ሮማ ከም ጉሓፍ ዝተጉሓፉ ፡ህግደፍ, ናትና ኣይኮኑን ኢልዎም ኣሎ ።refer to you tube Adal news,

    • sami August 29, 2017

      Danila babe bella, what happened to the old moslem negis peodaphille “PH” Islam shit nickname?? According to your mushmush aregit kelbi Arab”AS” cousin you would be classified under his “suspicious elements” detective works!!!! Lets have Mohammedino for a change!!
      Why the sudden change from your old evil Islamic PH to the angel Danilo of Catholics??You have not converted from your savage barbarian Arab’s evil moslem to our beautiful and civil Christianity????Stick with your old savage barbarian evil moslem Arab slave masters.

  • sami August 29, 2017

    Yes indeed Abba Mussie is a clean, honest hard working and God fearing innocent gentleman. He cares so much about his people and all man kind that he will never ever get involved into any illegal activity or businesses. The poor man is being set up and also being blackmailed by old nasty mafia operators and traffickers. He should come out and expose the real culprits, mafia criminals and the traffickers. He is protecting the criminals by his silence.

  • FM August 30, 2017

    Dear Assenna Readers,

    Please refrain from such foul languages and name calling. I would ask Assenna to make a stop to such name calling and street verbiage that further debases the subject of such words and the medium of Assenna as a mature expression of ideas, where we can agree to disagree with civility. I am disgusted with the derogatory expressions against Islam. That is not any Eritrean I know. It seems these are deliberately inflammatory expressions to wedge animosity on the basis of religion. Please, refrain from such things, which are hate-crimes.

    • Dawit August 30, 2017

      Either you are too naive/ignorant or I should say, no wonder you are a certified Islam’s lackey.
      You need to wise up politically really fast otherwise just stay away preaching evil bullshits
      Even the seitan/devil quotes the good book “the bible” for his convenience just like yourself.
      Keshi HaTiyat, dream is free so keep dreaming for your paradise/hell Islamic Eritrea. Get lost.

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