Fesshaye was imprisoned without charges in September 2001, and died in government custody.

In 1994, he founded the weekly journal Setit, one of the country's first independent newspapers,[4] named for the only Eritrean river to have water all year.

[2] The journal covered difficult and controversial topics, including poverty, prostitution, and the lack of resources for handicapped veterans of the Eritrean independence movement.

[3] The National Assembly stated that "the private newspapers by their wanton irresponsibility had provoked the anger of the people who demanded that they be closed and sighed with relief when they were temporarily suspended.

While some sources state that he died on January 11, 2007, following a prolonged illness, exiled opposition party leader Adhanom Gebremariam reported that Fesshaye was found dead in his cell on December 13, 2002.