Hanna Petros Solomon and her three siblings lost contact with both parents over two decades ago following their arrests in Eritrea related to political opposition to President Isaias Afewerki. Her father, Petros Solomon, was a senior government official who had served as defence minister and foreign minister. In May 2001, he joined 14 other high-ranking politicians in signing an open letter to the president demanding implementation of the country’s ratified constitution and calling for national elections. This group became known as the G-15.
On 18 September 2001, days after the attacks on the United States, security forces arrested Petros and other signatories of the letter. The family received no official notification of his detention or whereabouts. Hanna’s mother, Aster Yohannes, was studying in the United States at the time. After spending two years abroad and reportedly receiving assurances from government officials that she would be safe, Aster returned to Eritrea in December 2003 to care for her children. Upon arrival at Asmara International Airport, she disappeared into state custody and has not been heard from since.
Neither parent has been brought to trial or permitted contact with family members. Petros is believed to be held at Ela-Ero, a remote and secretive detention facility in northeastern Eritrea, while Aster is reportedly confined to Karshelli prison in the capital. The Eritrean government has provided no information about the prisoners’ conditions or whether they remain alive. Hanna eventually fled the country without documentation as a young adult and now lives in the United States as a trauma specialist. The case reflects broader concerns about political detention in Eritrea, where independent media was also suppressed around the same period.
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