# Eritrea's G-15: 25 years without trial > Fifteen senior politicians arrested in 2001 for demanding democracy remain imprisoned without charges, leaving their families in anguish. - Title: Eritrea's G-15: 25 years without trial · BBC News | Shortify - Summary: Fifteen senior politicians arrested in 2001 for demanding democracy remain imprisoned without charges, leaving their families in anguish. Eritrea's president… - Keywords: eritrea, g-15, political prisoners, petros solomon, aster yohannes, isaias afewerki, detention without trial, human rights, democracy, constitution, asmara, political repression - Source: BBC News — https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx1l6762jeq4o - Published: 2026-09-19T23:01:45.323+00:00 - Read time: 3 min - Topics: eritrea, g-15, political prisoners, petros solomon, aster yohannes, isaias afewerki, detention without trial, human rights, democracy, constitution, asmara, political repression ## A father vanishes without warning Petros Solomon, Eritrea's defence and foreign minister, was arrested on 18 September 2001 as he left for his morning jog. His 10-year-old daughter Hanna never saw him again. > He had a towel on his shoulders like a sportsman. ## Why he was arrested Solomon and 14 other senior officials signed an open letter in May 2001 demanding President Isaias implement the constitution and hold elections. They became known as the G-15. ## Timing that silenced questions The arrests happened just days after 9/11, when global attention was on the US attacks. The government detained 11 officials in Asmara in the early hours, catching the world off guard. ## A child's confusion and shame Hanna's classmates told her father had sold out his country. At 10 years old, she didn't understand what was happening, only that people blamed her father for betrayal. > My classmates told me that my father sold out his country. ## A mother's impossible choice Hanna's mother Aster was studying in the US when Petros was arrested. After two years and assurances from officials, she decided to return home to her four children. ## A mother disappears at the airport On 11 December 2003, Aster arrived at Asmara International Airport but never emerged. The family waited with flowers, then learned she had landed but would not be coming home. > It was a long, long wait. Eventually we gave up and went back home. ## Held in notorious prisons Petros is believed detained at Ela-Ero, a remote, secretive prison in the eastern lowlands. Aster is held at Karshelli jail in Asmara. Neither has been tried or allowed visitors. ## No answers, only silence The government has never charged the G-15 prisoners or brought them to trial. Hanna's grandmother was warned to stop asking questions. The Eritrean government refuses to comment on their whereabouts. ## Fleeing the country alone Like thousands of young Eritreans, Hanna fled conscription and limited opportunities. Now 35, she crossed the border secretly without a passport and built a life in the US. ## Memories fading, hope fading Hanna works as a trauma specialist but remains traumatised herself. She worries her memories of happy times with her parents will fade, and that she'll forget her mother's cooking and father's laughter. ## Another child, another loss Ibrahim Sherifo was 13 when both his parents, senior government members, were arrested as part of the G-15. He watched security agents take his mother away in her pyjamas. ## A dark day for democracy Now 38 and living in exile in the Netherlands, Ibrahim calls 18 September 2001 a dark day for Eritrea itself. He's pursuing a master's degree in political science, following his father's path. > For me 18 September 2001 is a dark day, but not only for me, it is a dark day for Eritrea and its people. ## Pride in their parents' courage Both Hanna and Ibrahim are proud their parents dared to demand reform and democracy. They believe their parents had conscience and couldn't stay silent while their country was hijacked. ## A simple plea: just tell us Hanna and Ibrahim want the government to confirm whether their parents are alive. They also want the world to remember the many others whose relatives have disappeared over the years. > As a family, we should be informed whether they are alive or not. ## A president who never held elections President Isaias, now 80, has ruled Eritrea for three decades without implementing the 1997 constitution or holding a single election. The G-15 prisoners remain his longest-held detainees. ## Living with waves of sorrow Hanna describes her grief as living in the deep sea. Sometimes calm, sometimes a wave of sorrow drowns her. She holds onto hope her parents will survive and return, as they survived the liberation war. > Sometimes it is calm and you can float, but other times the sorrow comes back to you like a wave and drowns you deep down. ## Key takeaway Eritrea's president detained 15 reform-minded officials without trial in 2001 and has never released them, leaving their families desperate for any information about whether they're alive.