Key facts
- Hanna Petros Solomon's parents, Petros Solomon and Aster Yohannes, were arrested in Eritrea in 2001 and 2003 respectively.
- Petros Solomon, a former defense, foreign, and fisheries minister, was among 15 politicians known as the G-15 who signed an open letter calling for democratic reforms.
- Aster Yohannes, Petros Solomon's wife, returned to Eritrea in December 2003 after two years in the US and was subsequently detained.
- Neither Petros Solomon nor Aster Yohannes have been seen or heard from since their detentions.
- Ibrahim Sherifo's parents, Mahmoud Ahmed Sherifo and Aster Fissehatsion, were also among the G-15 arrested in September 2001.
- The Eritrean government has not responded to BBC requests for comment on the whereabouts of the prisoners.
Hanna Petros Solomon, now 35 and living in the US, is a trauma specialist haunted by the disappearance of her parents, who were jailed in Eritrea 25 years ago. Her father, Petros Solomon, a former senior leader in Eritrea's war of independence and later a minister, was arrested in May 2001 after signing an open letter to President Isaias Afewerki calling for democratic reforms. He was among 15 high-profile politicians known as the G-15 who were detained.
Petros Solomon was picked up by security forces in September 2001, and his wife, Aster Yohannes, who was studying in the US, returned to Eritrea in December 2003 after reportedly being assured of her safety. She never arrived at the airport and has not been heard from since. Hanna and her siblings were effectively orphaned and have no knowledge of their parents' current whereabouts or if they are even alive.
Ibrahim Sherifo, 38, also living in exile in the Netherlands, shares a similar story. His parents, Mahmoud Ahmed Sherifo, a former local government minister, and Aster Fissehatsion, were also among the G-15 arrested in September 2001. Ibrahim remembers security agents taking his mother away in her pyjamas, and his father had already been detained. Both Hanna and Ibrahim express gratitude to friends and family who supported them and pride in their parents' courage to call for reforms.
The Eritrean government, including its embassy in the UK, has not responded to the BBC's requests for comment regarding the prisoners.