#FreeCiham
Ciham Ali is a US-Eritrean national born in Los Angeles and raised in Eritrea. On 8 December 2012, when she was just 15 years of age, she was arrested by the Eritrean authorities. 10 years later, she remains detained without ever having been tried or charged.
Ciham has not had access to her family and lawyers since she was arrested. Her family does not even know where she is being held or her state of health. Under international law, this amounts to an enforced disappearance. Ciham was arrested at the border to Sudan as she tried to flee the country. This happened shortly after her father Ali Abdu, then a foreign minister in President Isaias Afwerki’s government, defected and fled to exile.
Despite being a US national, the US government has not intervened in her case. We believe that the complete silence and inactivity from the US government on behalf of their citizen has contributed to Ciham’s continued detention by the Eritrean authorities. The #FreeCiham campaign therefore primarily targets Secretary Antony Blinken, the head of the US State Department.
GET INVOLVED ↓
Sign Amnesty International’s petition calling on Secretary Blinken to urgently intervene in Ciham’s case.
After you have signed the petition, share it on social media using #FreeCiham and tag @SecBlinken.
LIGHT A CANDLE FOR CIHAM
Join the campaign on December 8th, the 10 year anniversary of Ciham’s arrest.
Light a candle for Ciham
Join the campaign by lighting a candle for Ciham and then doing 10 minutes of silence for her - one minute for each year that she has been forcibly disappeared. Light the candle and use the minutes of silence to stand in solidarity with her and to grieve the 10 years she has lost, suffered and been betrayed by both her governments - the Eritrean government that imprisoned her and the US government that completely has neglected her suffering.
Do it by yourself or with your family, colleagues or classmates in your home, office or classroom.
Post about it on social media
Take a picture or video (of the candle or of you/ the group with the candle) and post on your social media with a picture of Ciham, the #FreeCiham hashtag and tag @SecBlinken. Feel free to also write about why you are participating in this campaign and encourage others to join as well.
Become a member of our organisation and join the campaign to free Ciham
Learn more about Ciham:
Amnesty
“22 year old Ciham Ali Ahmed hasn’t seen her family in 5 years. She’s been in detention in Eritrea since she was 15 years old.”
Sign Amnesty’s petition demanding her release here.
Human Rights Watch
“Another Birthday Behind Bars: Social Media Campaign Draws Attention to the Detention of Ciham Ali Abdu” “
Read the story here.
CNN
“Jailed at 15 she dreamed of being a fashion designer. No trial and six years later, she's still missing”
Read the story here.
Teen Vogue
“Ciham Ali Ahmed Is a 15-Year-Old Who Disappeared in an Eritrean Prison. I'm Speaking Up for Her”
Read the story here.