"Most of the journalists were imprisoned following a government crackdown in 2001 that saw the closure of all independent media outlets and the suspension of civil and political liberties in Eritrea," said the WAN Board in a resolution issued during the World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum, the global meetings of the world’s press.

The resolution said:

"The Board of the World Association of Newspapers, meeting at the 58th World Newspaper Congress in Seoul, Korea from 29 May to 1 June 2005, strongly condemns the continued imprisonment of 16 journalists in Eritrea.

"Most of the journalists were imprisoned following a government crackdown in 2001 that saw the closure of all independent media outlets and the suspension of civil and political liberties in Eritrea.

"Many of the journalists are being held in undisclosed locations, and have never been formally charged. Eritrean law stipulates that an individual cannot be detained without charges for more than 30 days. Most of the journalists are prevented from being in contact with their lawyers and families.

"Today there are no independent newspapers in Eritrea and foreign correspondents are severely restricted in their work. In September 2004, the BBC Eritrea correspondent Jonah Fisher was expelled from the country. He was accused of "racist, negative reporting" by Information Minister Ali Abdu Ahmed.

"The journalists currently imprisoned are: Said Abdulkadir, Saadia Ahmed, Yosuf Mohamed Ali, Saleh Al-Jezaeri, Amanuel Asrat, Temesgen Gebreyesus, Mattewos Habteab, Dawit Habtemichael, Medhanie Haile, Dawit Isaac, Fessahaye Yohannes, Hamid Mohamed Said, Seyoum Tsehaye and Ghebrehiwet Keleta. Zemenfes Haile and Selamyinghes Beyene were reportedly sent into the national service for an unspecified period as a punitive measure for their professional activities.

"The detention of these journalists constitutes a clear breach of their right to freedom of expression, which is guaranteed by numerous international conventions, including Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Furthermore, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights considers that "detention, as punishment for the peaceful expression of an opinion, is one of the most reprehensible ways to enjoin silence and, as a consequence, a grave violation of human rights".

"The Board of WAN calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the sixteen imprisoned journalists and for President Isaias Afworki to restore all civil and political liberties in Eritrea, including freedom of the press and access to information."

The Paris-based WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry, defends and promotes press freedom world-wide. It represents 18,000 newspapers; its membership includes 72 national newspaper associations, individual newspaper executives in 102 countries, 11 news agencies and nine regional and world-wide press groups.

Inquiries to: Larry Kilman, Director of Communications, WAN, 7 rue Geoffroy St Hilaire, 75005 Paris France. Tel: +33 1 47 42 85 00. Fax: +33 1 47 42 49 48. Mobile in Korea (until 2 June): +82 11 9679 9721. E-mail: lkilman@wan.asso.fr.