The Flagellates

Journalist and writer Abraham T. Zere has been a key figure in raising awareness of human rights violations in Eritrea. As a fiction writer, Zere's expatriation has also allowed him to fine-tune a particularly poignant style of satire. His story "The Flagellates," is exemplary. Set in one of Eritrea's infamous underground prisons where torture and cruelty are commonplace, "The Flagellates" concerns a new "benevolent" prison commander who attempts to have a civil discussion with the inmates on how they prefer to receive their requisite lashes. The ensuing Life of Brian-like hysterics offer an unnerving consideration of Eritrea's present-day prison conditions.