Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said Eyob Kessete was trying to flee to neighbouring Ethiopia when he was detained. He had worked for a state-owned Amharic language radio station.

"As an attempt to flee the country is generally regarded by the government as treason, Eyob was shut up in a metal container ...," RSF said.

 "The Eritrean government is not evolving, and those who do not toe the single party line continue to treated with extreme brutality," Paris-based RSF said in a statement.

"We cannot wait to see how the European Commission, (Eritrean) President Isaias Afwerki's supposed new strategic and economic partner, will react."

The European Commission's decision in May to embrace isolationist Eritrea in the search for peace deals to a range of conflicts in the Horn of Africa has angered some member states and human rights groups.

"The customary protests will show that this policy has failed," RSF said.

"They will prove that Eritrea's promises as regards press freedom and human rights are just smokescreens designed solely to take the pressure off the democratic governments that have dealings with Eritrea," it said.

Eritrea's government rejected the group's allegations.

 "Do we have to comment on every statement by people who do not have anything to do?" said Information Minister Ali said. "We cannot make counter statements for each stupid comment."

The Red Sea state routinely denies criticism from foreign-based rights groups, saying the world has long been prejudiced in favour of arch-foe Ethiopia with which it fought a 1998-2000 border war that killed some 70,000 people.

Eritrea, which has no independent media, is consistently ranked among the world's top violators of press freedom.

Source: Reuters