Ruth Simon

Ruth Simon (born c. 1962 ) is an Eritrean journalist.

Early life Simon worked with the Eritrean People's Liberation Front during the Eritrean War of Independence, heading its secret publications. She also served as editor-in-chief of the Association for the Reintegration of Eritrean Women Guerrilla Fighters magazine Bana. The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists stated that she had been arrested for reporting an alleged statement by President Isaias Afewerki that Eritrean soldiers were fighting together with Sudanese rebel groups. The People's Front for Democracy and Justice, Afewerki's party, released a statement the day after her report calling it a "gross distortion" and stating that Eritrean forces were not participating in the Second Sudanese Civil War. Simon was the first journalist to be arrested in Eritrea since its independence four years before. In November of that year, Simon was awarded a CPJ International Press Freedom Award in absentia, the first Eritrean to win the award. On 29 December 1998, Simon was released without ever having been tried.

Simon is divorced and has three children.